The Washington Informer - February 26, 2015 by The Washington Informer

I N S I D E

Curry’s Heroes: DuBois and Trotter, Pg. 31

I N S I D E

Longtime Maryland Politician Remembered, Pg. 12

Students Try Spelling Their Way to Glory, Pg. 21

Uniontown Bar/Grill Adds Spice to Southeast, Pg. 17

Teen DJ is Rocking the House, Pg. 33

Vol. 50, No. 20 Feb. 26 - Mar. 4 2015

In celebration of Black History Month, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a panel discussion at the White House on Friday, Feb. 20th co-hosted by Essence Magazine. Women who have played critical roles in America’s progress on civil rights were recognized. Panelists included: National Executive Director of NAN, Janaye Ingram; Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine; Charlayne Hunter-Gault, activist and journalist; Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and Chanelle Hardy, senior vice president for Policy, National Urban League. /Photo by Roy Lewis

SSDI in Peril By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer

The battle over Social Security Disability Insurance benefits continues to unfold on Capitol Hill, and, as in the case of most of these fights, numerous officials argue that it’s the little guy who gets hurt.

In fact, in this case, those with mental health problems and other disabilities are said to be most at risk. “Because the program is vital to workers and their families, we must take steps to ensure its stability and avoid deep and abrupt cuts or cessation of benefits to individuals with disabilities,”

NAMI, Other Organizations Battle to Save Benefits

Acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Carolyn Colvin told the Senate Budget Committee this month. “The temporary allocation the president proposes will have no effect on overall health of the combined [retirement and disability] trust funds” and wouldn’t raise taxes for workers or employers,

she said. If Congress doesn’t take action, the Social Security Disability Insurance program, which helps support the disabled, will run out of sufficient funds by late 2016, triggering a 19 percent cut in disability benefits. That prospect has alarmed the White House and lawmakers

from both parties. In a preview of how difficult it would be to make bigger changes to entitlement programs, The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration and GOP lawmakers are clashing over how to shore up the disability insur-

SOCIAL SECURITY Page 8

Celebrating 50 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Is Everywhere! The CoLumn

“Mickey“ Thompson Vincent

3rd Annual RNC Black Republican Trailblazer Awards Luncheon Black Republican Awardees (L-R) The Late Senator Ed Brooke (MA), Congresswoman Mia Love (UT), Congressman William Hurd (TX), & Senator Tim Scott (SC)

The Republican National Committee held its 3rd Annual Black Republican Trailblazer Awards Luncheon. The event was held at the historic Howard Theatre in Washington, DC. The three sitting Black Republicans in Congress received awards for their courage and pioneering spirit. The late Sen. Ed Brooke III, (R-Mass) received a posthumous award for his service. Reince Priebus (Chairman of the National Republican Committee) presented awards. Jose Cunningham (Chairman of the DC GOP) & Ralph Chittams (Vice Chairman of the DC GOP) as well as other local Republican Executive Committee Members attended. Ms. Tara Setmayer Love (CNN Politial Commentator) & Roland Martin (TV One Host ) co-hosted. Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV (Owner of New York Jets) & Harry Johnson (Pres. & CEO Of MLK National Monument)

Robert Wood Johnson, IV (Owner New York Jets), Reince Priebus (Chairman, RNC) & Dr. Charles Vincent (Member DC GOP)

Jose Cunningham (Chairman DC GOP) , Jill Homan (National Committeewoman DC GOP), & Bob Kabel National Committeeman DC GOP)

(L-R) Ronald Evans, Mark Evans, & Dr. Christine Brooks (All Members of DC GOP)

(L-R) Bob Kabel (National Committeeman Man DC GOP) with Wiliam Reed (Member DC GOP & Washington Informer Newspaper Columnist)

Hon. Alphonso Jackson (Former Secty. Housing & Urban Development)

Michael Zak (Member DC GOP)

Ralph Chittams (Vice Chairman DC GOP) & Dr. Charles Vincent ( Member DC GOP)

Linda Softli & Johnnie Morgan (Members DC GOP) (L-R) Sharon Day (Co-Chairman RNC), & Lt..Gov. Boyd Rutherford (MD)

Ron Moten (Member DC GOP)

Executive Committee of the DC Republican Party (L-R) Stephen Jackson (Ward 6 Chair), Dennis Paul (At-Large Member), Jill Homan (National Committeewoman), Bob Kabel (National Committeeman), Christine Brooks (At-Large Member), Cassandra Baker (Secretary), Jose Cunningham (Chairman), Roderick Johnson (Treasurer), Mary Rose Hughes (Finance Vice-Chair), JC Boggs (General Counsel), David Trebing (Finance Chair), Gary Teal (Political Chair), Bulbul Howard (At-Large Member) & Patrick Mara (Executive Director)

Want to be a Social Sightings?

“Mickey” Thompson Vincent (Publisher Social Sightings) & Congresswoman Amata Radewagen (American Samoa)

Subscribe www.SocialSightings.com

Kurt Pommonths, Sr, Photographer • Photo Enhancer • Graphic Designer Social Sightings is published in the Hill Rag, DC Mid City - East of the River & in the Washington Informer Newspaper 2003 © SOCIAL SIGHTINGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — DUPLICATION IN ANY FORM REQUIRES WRITTEN PERMISSION | E-mail SocialSightings@aol.com

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2/26/2015 – 3/4//2015 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Pages 12-13 BUSINESS Pages 16-17 COMMENTARIES Pages 39-31 BLACK HISTORY SECTION Pages 23-27 LIFESTYLE Pages 32-35

Remembering Trayvon: 17-year-old Trayvon Martin died three years ago, Feb. 26, after being shot by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a press release earlier this week that the Justice Department will not file charges against Zimmerman because “the high standards for a federal hate crime prosecution cannot be met.”

SPORTS Pages 36-37

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around the region

Women Break the Cycle of Domestic Violence

Audit: Myriad Problems at Board of Elections

By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer @bsalmondc ByThe Tia Carol year 2014 Jones certainly wasn’t a www.washingtoninformer.com WI Staff very goodWriter one for the District of Columbia Board of Elections. When L.Y. Marlow's Visit our updated Web site In the primary election 23-yearin April, old daughter her to thepull father board staff weretold unable and and give us your comments of her daughter threatened her count votes from several voting mafor a chance to win a gift from life, and the life of their child, chines, which led to a delay and the The Washington Informer she knew something be inability to call the mayoralhad and to other done. Out of her frustration key races until four hours after polls with law enforcement's handling closed. Earlier in the year, the agency Email comments to: of the situation, she decided to received more unwelcome attention rburke@ start the Saving Promise camwith the production and distribution paign. washingtoninformer.com of 300,000 voters’ guides emblazoned “It seems to be a vicious cycle with upside-down flag.family thatan won't turnD.C. my Board Executive Director Clifford loose,” Marlow said. Marlow D. Tatumher proved to be prescient when shared story with the audihe told the media that he couldn’t ence at the District Heights guarantee smooth process for the Domestica Violence Symposium Nov. 4 general elections. Success was on May 7 at the District Heights thwarted by Center. data switch server Municipal Theandsympoproblems, which caused a delay sium was sponsored byin earthe lyFamily voting tabulations and delays in the and Youth Services overall Centercount of of thevotes. city of District Additionally, a tabulation Heights and the National process Hookof more than 20,000 special ballots Up of Black Women. and 6,000 absentee ballots dragged on Marlow has written a book, into earlyMe December. “Color Butterfly,” which is a During a Nov. 20 interview, Wardof 5 story about four generations Council member Kenyan McDuffie, a domestic violence. The book is inspiredand by vocal her own frequent criticexperiences, and chair of andcouncil’s those Government of her grandmother, the Operations her mother and herconcern daughter. Committee, expressed and She said inevery she reads frustration a seriestime of interviews. excerpts from have her book, still “The issues varied:she slower In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. can not believe the words tabulations and counts; we saw came techWilhelmina J. Rolark fromproblems her. “Color Me Butterfly” nical not assessed and mulThe Washington Informer Newspaper wonexplanations the 2007from National “Best tiple the board,” he THE WASHINGTON INFORMER InPUBLISHER Memoriam Books” Award. said during a Nov. 20 interview. “The NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414)Dr.isCalvin Denise Rolark Sr. Barnes W. Rolark, “I on wasprimary just 16-years-old cause night differed when when published weekly on each Thursday. Wilhelmina J. Rolark my eye first blackened and Periodicals postage paid at WashingI called for an oversight hearing on my the STAFF WASHINGTON INFORMER lips bled,” Marlow said. ton,THE D.C. and additional mailing of- NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published delays. An after-action report was not weekly Thursday. Periodicals paidW. at Barnes, Washington, D.C. and additional Denise Editor Elaine Davis-Nickens, fices. Newsonand advertising deadlinepostage completed, and there still are presiquesmailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. is Monday prior to publication. Andent of the National Hook-Up D. Kevin McNeir, Managing Editor Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The tions.” nouncements must be received two ofMcDuffie Black Women, there is no Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addresssaid thesaid oversight hearRon Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director weeks event. Copyright 2015 consistency in the way domestic es toprior The to Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, ings he’s chaired and instances like by D.C. The 20032. Washington Informer. All No part of this publication may be Barnes, reproduced written violence issues are dealt with by Lafayette IV,without Assistant PhotopermisEditor the upside-down flag have raised conrights POSTMASTER: sionreserved. from the publisher. TheSend Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of change of addresses to The rates WashJohn E. De Sports Photo photographs. Subscription are $30 per year, twoFreitas, years $45. Papers willEditor be received cerns about Tatum’s leadership. not more than 3117 a weekMartin after publication. Make checks payable to: ington Informer, Luther “Then they tried to cover it up,” he Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. said. “The board was fully aware of THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 20032. No part of this publication may Brian Young, Design & Layout the gravity of the situation, and I con3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 be reproduced without written permisPhone: 202 561-4100 • Fax: 202 Bookkeeper 574-3785 veyed that. The executive director is a Mable Neville, sion from the publisher. The Informer E-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com problem. There have not been clear Newspaper cannot guarantee the return Mickey Thompson, Social Sightings columnist www.washingtoninformer.com of photographs. Subscription rates are lines of communication between the Stacey Palmer, Social Media Specialist $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will board and the executive director.” PUBLISHER be received not more than a week after McDuffie requested an audit Angie Johnson, Circulation Denise Rolark Barnes publication. Make checks payable to: during hearings last year, and that docSTAFF REPORTERS ument illustrates the challenges which THE WASHINGTON Brooke N. Garner INFORMER Managing REPORTERS Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, Carla PeayLuther King, Assistant Managing Editor Brown, Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, enmesh the board. These include 3117 Martin Jr. Ave., S.E Stacy Sam P.K. Collins, Eve Ferguson, Ron BurkeD.C. 20032 Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, Joseph Young Washington, mundane issues such as an insufficient Elton Hayes, D. Kevin McNeir, Dorothy Mable Whittaker Bookkeeper Phone: 202 561-4100 number of pens and pencils at polling Rowley, Barrington Salmon LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Fax:John 202 574-3785 E. De Freitas Sports Editor stations; data switch and server probLafayette Barnes, IV, news@washingtoninformer.com Victor Holt Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Maurice Fitzgerald, lems; equipment malfunctions; misswww.washingtoninformer.com Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert PHOTOGRAPHERS ing supplies, including pens and delivKen Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster Ridley, Victor Holt John E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, ery confirmation forms; and printer Roy Lewis,CIRCULATION Travis Riddick , Nancy Shia malfunctions. Paul Trantham In addition, Elections Board staff INTERNS admitted the failure to communicate Glynn Hill, Marc Rivers, Sarafina Wright with the media during the vote tabulation process; those hired to oversee polling stations did a poor job attach4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com ing signs that would help voters; some poll watchers’ aggressive behavior

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law enforcement. She said they had come together to bring a sense of uniformity in the way domestic violence victims and survivors are treated. “She's using her own personal story, her own personal pain to push forward,” Davis-Nickens said about Marlow. Davis-Nickens said anyone who reads Marlow's book will “get it.” She said she “puts the case in such a way, the average person can get it.” She said at the end of the day, the book will help people begin to have a dialogue about domestic violence. Also present /Courtesy photo at the event was Mildred Muhammad, the exwife of John Allen Muhammad, who was sentenced to six consectowards voters interfered the utive life terms withoutwith parole elections process; jury and, in by a Maryland fora number his roleof in locations, there were voterattacks assistance the Beltway Sniper in bell malfunctions board officialsis 2002. Mildredthat Muhammad attributed to user the founder of error. After the Trauma, to reach Tatum and board anEfforts organization that helps the chair Deborah wereviolence unsucsurvivors of Nichols domestic cessful. Elections Board spokeswomand their children. “I livedTolliver in fear said for six Six an Denise theyyears. declined years in fear is awhile working long time. on It is to be interviewed a not an to easy comegiven out response the thing audit, antooption of,” shebysaid. to them McDuffie. Mildred said Muhammad said McDuffie all he’s heard from people whoarewant board officials excuses.to help a domestic violence victim inmust “I was deeply disappointed the be careful howgiven theythegosubpar into results of theofaudit the victim's life, and understand admin of the election in April, a hearthatleading she up mayto be in “survival ing the audit and the mode”. performance of the administrators you get to 'I'm going was“Before subpar again in November, and to kill you,' it started as a verbal they knew that they were being audited,” he said. “The report underscores persistent problems with BOE’s ability to conduct elections in the District of Columbia. In my capacity as chair of the committee with oversight of BOE, I have already committed to identify funding to fully supply polling locations with all of the necessary materials. I am also reviewing additional measures that would enable BOE to seamlessly administer future elections.” Chuck Thies, political consultant and campaign manager for former Mayor Vincent Gray’s 2014 campaign, said the board’s missteps have been a longtime concern. “I know that people have lost confidence, but I don’t think anyone feels that outcomes are or (have been) affected,” he said “If BOE can’t count, if I go to place where I voted the last three times and they tell me I can’t vote there, there will be a lack of confidence. I don’t doubt the board’s integrity. It’s just the consistency of gaffes. Instead of admitting it, they lied about it. Everyone has put something out with a wrong picture, a mistake, a misspelling. They make excuses – we need more staff, equipment. The

“

threat,” she said. Among the programs Marlow wants to see implemented are stricter restraining order policies, more rights for victim's families to intervene on behalf of a victim, a domestic violence assessment unit coupled with further training for law enforcement agencies, a Child's Life Protection Act and mandatory counseling for batterers. “If we are ever going to eradicate domestic violence, we must look at both sides of the coin. We need to address both the victim and the batterer,” Marlow said. Marlow would also like to see programs designed to raise awareness among children in equipment isn’tprivate old; it’s junk. public and schools. She “They’ve hadneed many,tomany probfeels children be educated about domestic violence. lems.” “We said havethetoboard stop seems beingtopasThies be sive-aggressive with poor chiltrapped in a time warp. dren about domestic violence,” “They’resaid. really good at customer Marlow service, but when comes totocomplex Marlow has itworked break matters of managing elections, tabuthe cycle of abuse in her family, and isresults, confident the policies she lating challenging and verifying is pushing for will start that petitions – interacting with technoloprocess. gy. When I go there, I feel like I’m not “I plan to take these policies to in the 21st century. It’s like the 1980s. Congress and implore them to Ichange don’t dispute that they need more our laws,” Marlow said. money. need until to present real “I will They not stop these apolibudget, it as soon as possible cies areprocess passed.” Jones that can will be reached andTia buyCarol technology last for tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net aatwhile. Then they should hire staff who know how to use and maintain WI this equipment.” Dorothy Brizill, founder of DC Watch, a government watchdog organization, took part in a panel discussion at a recent Ward 7 meeting and said elected officials must fix the broken and embattled agency. “They need to increase the size of the Board of Elections by three to five times or more,” she said. “You’d be appalled to see how the votes are counted. It’s dodgy getting to view the proceedings. I’m an advocate for fixing the board. We need a new executive director and a new board.” McDuffie agreed. “At this time, it’s to consider personnel changes. I chaired a performance oversight hearing where the board acknowledged problems. They’re willing to explore new possibilities. … As L.Y. Marlow with any agency in D.C. government, they have to be held accountable. This board and executive director have to be held accountable. I don’t want to engage in any more finger pointing. D.C. residents deserve better elections and results.” WI

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.

“

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Bi’ja Thatch

More Blacks Dying Without Organ Transplants Bi’ja Thatch sat nervously beside her mother when her doctor entered through the doors of her hospital room a little over a year ago bearing troubling news. Thatch was diagnosed with a rare, cancer-like disease that causes cells to destroy and damage one another. Thatch’s only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant. Thatch was lucky. It took her a year find a donor, but she did. Every day, however, 20 people in need of transplants die waiting for organs, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ten of them, like Thatch, are African-American. In fact, 35 percent of people on the national waiting list for major organs are African-Americans. Thatch, 21, successfully underwent the transplant in July and is in recovery. “I am so grateful for this transplant because I know many people are not as fortunate as me to make it off the waiting list,” Thatch said. “Transplants are extremely helpful to those fighting fatal diseases.” Despite the African-American community’s high need for major organs, statistics show that it ranks last among ethnic groups in registered donors. Blacks comprise only 14 percent of organ donors. Consequently, African-Americans are in desperate need of kidneys for diseases such as hypertension and diabetes – more than any other ethnic group. They

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also need bone marrow and tissue transplants. There are numerous accounts of African-Americans, some famous and some not so famous, dying for lack of donors. Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly’s half-sister, Jacqueline Donahue, died at age 31 despite her family’s four-year attempt to find a bone marrow to help cure her of leukemia. Shannon Tavarez, an 11-yearold actress who played Nala on Broadway in the “The Lion King,” died six months after being diagnosed with leukemia when her mother was unable to find a bone marrow donor. Dr. Clive Callender, senior transplant surgeon at Howard University Hospital, has seen and heard the stories. In response, Callender, who performed the first kidney transplants at Howard University and one of the city’s first liver transplants, founded the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program in order to increase the number of blacks who agree to be donors. Using a $1.2 million study, Callender discovered there were five reasons African-Americans shied away from organ donation, their lack of knowledge of organ donation, their religious beliefs, their fear of being used as a “guinea pig,” their fear of being prematurely killed for organs and their distrust of the medical system. By working to dispel those myths and misconceptions, Callender’s organization saw the number of African-American donors in the District of Columbia increase by 125 percent over the

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301.292.9141/FAX 301.292.9142/Mobile 703.819.0920 doris@mcmilloncommunications.com/www.mcmilloncommunications.com

past 20 years. “Many said that minorities would not donate,” Callender said, “but we have demonstrated that minorities will become a part of the solution to this problem.” Though progress has been made, Callender says there is still a great need for more African-American organ donors. Delise Hampton, 21, made a decision to become an organ donor Denise Rolark Barnes two years ago when she became Independent Beauty Consultant aware of the African-American www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com community’s needs. 202-236-8831 “When I pass away, my organs will be of no use to me,” Hampton said. “It is very fulfilling to know that I will really save someone’s life”. The Washington Regional Transplant Community, an organ procurement organization, is dedicated to making sure this goal is achieved. This organization facilitates relationships among donors, donor families, transplant teams and waiting-list patients. It also provides professional (301) 864-6070 education programs to encourage health care professionals to get involved in the donation process. They host public education proMCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC grams designed to promote donor ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, registration and awareness. “If someone walked up to you COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, and asked if would you like to save Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, a life at no cost to you or your Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, family, most would say, “Yes,” said National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Lesley Compagnone, a manager ‡ Please set all copy in upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bo and spokesperson for WRTC. Beauty Consultant in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light;Discrimination, Web site or e-mail address in 9-point HelveticaAct, Neue Retaliation, Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica Race Rehabilitation the Independent Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may “That’s what To being an organ doSeverance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, nor is. When you pass away, you Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge can save up to eight lives. ” To learn more or to become SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA an organ donor, visit organdonor. www.jmlaw.net (301) 864-6070 jmccollum@jmlaw.net gov/becomingdonorWI

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AROUND THE REGION WEEK OF FEB 26 TO MAR 4

Black Facts Feb. 26 1926 - Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week. This week would later become Black History Month. 1928 - Singer “Fats” Domino was born. 1964 - Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali as he accepted Islam and rejected Christianity. “I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and in peace. ...I ‘m not a Christian anymore.” 1965 - Jimmie Lee Jackson, civil rights activist, died of injuries reportedly inflicted by officers in Marion, Alabama. 1966 - Andrew Brimmer becomes the first African-American governor of the Federal Reserve Board when he is appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. 1985 – On this day at the Grammy Awards ceremony, African-American musicians won awards in several categories. Lionel Richie won Album of the Year, Tina Turner took awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), and the Pointer Sisters won Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Feb. 27 1869 - Congress adopted the 15th constitutional amendment, making it illegal for the U.S. or any single government to deny or abridge the right to vote “on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.” 1964 - Anna Julia Cooper, champion for the rights of black women, dies at the age of 105. 1988 - Figure skater Debi Thomas becomes the first African-American to win a medal (bronze) at the winter Olympic Games.

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Feb. 28 1879 – Southern Blacks fled political and economic exploitation in “Exodus of 1879.” Exodus continued for several years. One of the major leaders of the Exodus movement was a former slave, Benjamin (“Pap”) Singleton. 1984 – Musician and entertainer Michael Jackson wins eight Grammy Awards. His album “Thriller” broke all sales records to date and remains one of the top-grossing albums of all time.

1990 – Philip Emeagwali is awarded the Gordon Bell Prize (computing’s Nobel Prize) for solving one of the twenty most difficult problems in the computing field. March 1 1875 – Civil Rights Bill is enacted by Congress. Bill gave Blacks the right to equal treatment in inns, public conveyances, theaters and other places of public amusement. It would be over-turned by the Supreme Court in 1883. 1971 – Defense Department limited electronic surveillance after disclosure of “civil disturbance information collection plan,” which directed the gathering of information on civil rights groups. 2002 – Miss District of Columbia Shauntay Hinton is crowned Miss USA.

COINTELPRO memorandum is sent to FBI field offices around the country. COINTELPRO was a government counter-intelligence program aimed at disrupting and destroying black, peace and anti-war groups. The March 3rd memorandum specifically called on FBI agents to infiltrate militant black organizations and employ various tactics to prevent them from growing individually or uniting with one another. 1990 – Carole Gist is crowned first black Miss USA. 1991 – Rodney King is beaten by a group of white policemen in Los Angeles. March 4 1922 – Comedic great Bert Williams dies of pneumonia in New York City at the age of 46. 1968 – Martin Luther King, Jr. announced plans for Poor People’s Campaign in Washington. He said he would lead a massive civil disobedience campaign in the capital to pressure the government to provide jobs and income for all Americans. He said at a news conference that an army of poor whites, blacks and Hispanics would converge on Washington on April 20 and would demonstrate until their demands were met.

March 2 1962 –”Wilt the Stilt” Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single basketball game, a professional record that still stands today. He sank 36 field goals and 28 foul shots. Chamberlain, who played for the Philadelphia Warriors and 76ers and then the Los Angeles Lakers, was the best scorer and rebounder in the history of the sport and the first player to score 30,000 points. At 7 feet 1 inch tall, Chamberlain was the first professional player over 7 feet, changing basketball into a tall man’s game. Chamberlain retired from basketball in October 1974 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Andrew Brimmer 1979. 1972 – Dr. Jerome H. Holland is elected to the board of directors of the New York Stock Exchange on this day. 1980 – Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns wins the vacant United States Boxing Association Welterweight title. This is one of five weight classes in which he has won a boxing title, which makes him the first black to win boxing titles in five different weight classes. March 3 1968 – The infamous

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AROUND THE REGION INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY ELTON HAYES

VIEWP INT Cris Parker

Suitland, Maryland I think they handled everything pretty well. I think they could have done a bit of a better job with cleaning the side roads and streets – some of those were a little messed up, as were a few of the parking lots. But other than that, all things considered, I think the road crews did a decent job with cleaning up and salting the roads.

Raimon Nelson

Washington, D.C. I grew up in this area in Ward 4 and I remember when schools shutdown because of the snow, and even the threat of snow. To be honest, I think the District did a great job of getting the roads clear and getting the city back up and running. With the first snowstorm, I expected us to be down for a couple days, but the District did a good job in making sure that the delays were minor.

Comments? Comments? Opinions? Email us at:

Ideas?

THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA SUFFERED TWO MAJOR SNOW STORMS IN LESS THAN A WEEK. DO YOU FEEL THE REGION’S SNOW CREWS HANDLED THE CLEANUP OF THE MAJOR ROAD ARTERIES AND SIDE STREETS REASONABLY WELL?

Dale Dykes

Washington, D.C. I think the city has done a great job, at least with the major arteries. It’s always difficult for them to get to some of the side streets, but I think they did pretty well. I actually put together a command center to help the crews view the streets, so that they know which ones to go to. They worked diligently, and based on the manpower and their resources, they really did a really good job.

We like to hear from you!

Reggie Davison

Washington, D.C. The [salt] trucks park near where I live. In my area of town, they did pretty well with clearing the streets and making them drivable. The sidewalks in my neighborhood weren’t that bad, either, but that falls under the residential management and business merchants. But people in my neighborhood were able to get around. I think the city – at least where I live – did a good job with everything.

Emmitt Candler

Washington, D.C. I think the city responded well. I know it doesn’t snow here a lot, when compared to places like Ohio or New York, so they did reasonably well. There’s always room for improvement, but I don’t have any complaints. I was able to get around. I know the side streets don’t get as much attention as the main roads, but my area off of North Capitol Street was pretty clear and the roads were drivable.

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Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

AROUND THE REGION

Residents stand in solidarity during a protest in which they demand that Congress not allow cuts in social security, Medicaid or Medicare. /Courtesy photo

SOCIAL SECURITY from Page 1 ance fund to avert the shortfall. Meanwhile, officials at the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Arlington, Virginia, have urged residents to contact their senators to help protect SSDI. They said reallocation of the benefits would mean a temporary shift of Social Security revenues to the SSDI fund reserves, which would extend the SSDI fund for almost two decades without cutting Social Security coverage, eligibility or benefits – and without increasing taxpayer contributions. Reportedly, 35 percent of people who receive SSDI have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. Massachusetts and New Hampshire have the highest percentage of individuals with a mental disorder, at nearly 50 percent, while the District ranks in the top ten of jurisdictions where disabled beneficiaries have a mental disorder diagnosis. Also, the total number of Social Security Administration disabled beneficiaries has increased 49.7 percent since 2003, and since 2009 the number has increased an additional 14.3 percent. Further, 27.7 percent of disabled individuals have been diagnosed with musculoskeletal issues. “This goes back to the poor guy, the little guy always being in the line of fire from the big bad

8 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

The Washington Informer

politicians,” said Edward Brown, a disabled veteran who lives in Northwest. “They talk about casting your ballot, electing this guy or that guy, but the truth is that once they get into office and have their cushy, mostly noshow, jobs, they do what they want, and nobody checks with their so-called constituency to see what’s best,” said Brown, 67. In January, the House of Representatives passed a change in the rules that would create a budget “point of order” to prevent reallocating funds between Social Security trust funds, and NAMI joined a coalition of national disability organizations objecting to the change. In recent decades, these reallocations have proceeded with broad bipartisan support in Congress, they said. In his budget, which was released earlier this month, President Barack Obama proposed a reshuffling of Social Security funding aimed at shoring up the program. Employees and employers now each pay a 6.2 percent payroll tax that funds both the disability insurance trust fund and the much larger retirement benefits fund, which is currently expected to be depleted in 2034. Obama suggested increasing the portion of the payroll tax going to the disability fund by 0.9 percentage points and redirecting $330 billion from the retirement fund over five years.

That reallocation would mean both trust funds would be depleted in 2033, a year earlier than otherwise projected for the retirement fund, The Wall Street Journal reported. Money has been transferred in both directions between the two funds 11 times – most recently in 1994 – under both Democratic and Republican presidents. Now Republicans have said they won’t allow a no-stringsattached transfer. On the first day of the GOP-controlled Congress, Republicans passed a rule in the House preventing a transfusion of money from the retirement fund unless Congress takes steps to improve Social Security’s overall finances. “Regrettably, President Obama isn’t doing anything to ensure that this [shortfall] never, ever happens again,” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) said at a hearing on the issue. “His effort to paper over the problem is a classic example of Washington ducking a real American need.” Republicans haven’t settled on a set of changes they would seek to accompany a funding boost for the disability fund. Some GOP lawmakers said they were concerned about the increase in the number of disability beneficiaries in recent decades, particularly during the economic downturn, suggesting that they might want to see more scrutiny

SOCIAL SECURITY Page 9

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AROUND THE REGION Comments? Comments? Email us at:

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Carolyn Colvin, the acting Social Security Administration commissioner, said the Social Security Disability Insurance program is vital to workers and families. /Photo courtesy of SSA.

“They talk about casting your ballot, electing this guy or that guy, but once they get in office, nobody checks with their so-called constituency to see what’s best.”

– Edward Brown, disabled veteran

SOCIAL SECURITY from Page 8 of those on the rolls. Between 1980 and 2010, the number of disabled workers receiving benefits increased from 2.9 million to 8.2 million. Democrats and Social Security Administration officials have said the increased enrollment is a result of demographic factors, including population growth and the aging of baby boomers since older people are more at risk for disabilities. Also, they said there’s been increased participation from women in the workforce. To be eligible for disability insurance, a person must have worked for about one-fourth of their adult lives, including five of the last 10 years, suffer from a severe physical or mental impairment and be unable to do substantial work. In 2014, Social Security paid $141 billion to almost 11 million disability beneficiaries and their family members, Colvin said. “The debate we are having today is nothing more than a manufactured crisis which is part of the long-term Republican agenda of trying to cut Social Security,” said Vermont Sen. Bernie

Sanders, the top member of the Democratic caucus on the Senate Budget Committee. “The Social Security Trust Fund can pay out every benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 18 years. There is no imminent crisis.” And Sanders reportedly has proposed strengthening Social Security’s long-term footing by raising the cap on income subject to payroll taxes above its current $118,500 threshold. Many Republicans have rejected that approach, saying that increasing taxes isn’t the way to stabilize spending on federal safety-net programs. “I just don’t want America to believe we can tax our way into solvency,” said South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Sen. Angus King, an Independent from Maine, said he wanted to avoid the nearly 20 percent cut to disability benefits, but had concerns about deferring a difficult decision over how to overhaul Social Security programs. “We’re much more adept at bipartisan avoidance than we are at bipartisan solutions,” King said. WI

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Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

AROUND THE REGION

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MEnus, postErs BannErs & signs Students and faculty recently gathered at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center in the District to rewrite the history of noted educator Charles Henry Thompson. /Courtesy photo

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Scholars Tackle Wikipedia By Khari Arnold Howard University News Service Although he was the first African American with a doctoral degree in educational psychology as well as editor of the Journal of Negro Education for 30 years, Charles Henry Thompson’s page on Wikipedia didn’t show much. It didn’t include his rich background of innovation and scholarship or even photograph. Instead, it was a mere two sentences. That remained the case until Howard University students and faculty gathered at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center February 19 to rewrite his description and show others how to do the same for other important African American figures. It was called an “Edit-a-thon.” Howard educators, historians and students came together to fill in gaps and add extensive information for significant African-American figures. “When there are major historical and cultural figures that are not there, we’ve done them a disservice,” said Howard Dodson, the director of the Spingarn Centerwho also served as an editor for the day. Dodson was contacted in November by Wikimedia D.C., a regional branch of the foundation that operates Wikipedia and focuses on advancing its knowledge through the help of universities, libraries and museums. The foundation wanted Howard University’s help in advancing Wikipedia’s inclusion of more The Washington Informer

African Americans. “Wikipedia is like the gold standard in the world right now of encyclopedias,” Dodson said. “So, certainly when people go online looking for information about virtually anything, Wikipedia is one of the sources they rely on very heavily, and relatively speaking, a very small percentage of the entries deal with the black experience.” After an editing tutorial, the Howard team researched pages that needed sprucing up, gaps that needed filling and photos that needed placing. While some gathered reference materials from the wide collection in Spingarn, others knew valid information from first-hand experiences with certain important African-American figures. “I think the reason Howard is [ideal] is because we go to Wikipedia with knowledge,” said Greg Carr, the chair of Afro-American Studies at Howard. “We’re not coming looking for knowledge. When you combine that with the holdings of Moorland Spingarn, then it makes it easy.” Carr personally knew prominent figures who were missing information, such as Jacob Carruthers, one of the first blacks to integrate the University of Texas law school and play an integral role in the U.S. Supreme Court case Sweatt vs. Painter, and John Henry Clarke, a historian and advisor to Malcolm X. Carr said his library of nearly 40,000 books and other resources will be used as the Howard staff and others continue to pro-

cess begun Thursday. “I think it was important, because what this signals is that Howard is now engaged and that this is a beginning,” he said. “What I hope will happen is that a network of black institutions will join Howard. This is an opportunity for us to collaborate.” Dodson suggested the “edita-thon” become an annual event and that it could also benefit as a classroom project, serving as a learning tool and possible catalyst to teach black history to Wikipedia’s global audience. Though the digital encyclopedia raises questions in terms of veracity for many scholars, it makes readers aware of the existence of information that leads to further research, Dodson said. “For young people especially, if it doesn’t show up in an Internet search, the perception is that it doesn’t exist, or it’s not important,” he said. James Hare, president of Wikimedia D.C., said third-party and reliable resources, such as published books, journals and newspapers, is how Wikipedia prefers to gain its credibility. Its goal is to summarize existing research rather than to publish novel research on its own, Hare said. Hare said Howard helped improve such credibility, and he “would like to work with Howard University more, especially in regards to topics in black history that aren’t as represented on Wikipedia.”WI

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Our City Needs More DC Families for DC Kids

About half of the District’s children and teens in foster care live outside of the city, primarily in Maryland. DC youth want to stay in the city they call home. By becoming a foster parent in the District, you can make that wish come true. Our Children The primary goal of foster care is to provide safe, temporary homes for children, sibling groups, and teens while helping their parents bring their families back together. Currently, about 1,000 District children and teens live outside their birth homes under the care of the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), DC’s public child welfare service. These vulnerable children need safe, nurturing experiences. By offering the support, guidance, and care they deserve, even if only for a short time, you can make a lifetime of difference in helping District children through difficult times. Your Community Keeping children and teens in their home communities is integral for successful foster care experiences. Familiar surroundings—keeping children close to their birth families, their friends, their schools, and ultimately the communities where they were raised—mean less disruption and better transitions. Where in the city do children in foster care come from (by Ward)?

1 3%

2 1%

3 0%

4 4%

5 8%

6 7%

7 22%

8 50%

Where are children in foster care placed (by Ward)?

15%

10%

Outside of DC 50%

A growing number of Washington, DC families are getting involved to make sure DC children have the opportunity to grow up in their own communities. For example, Wards 5, 7, and 8 have risen to the occasion by fostering over 70 percent of the children CFSA was able to place in the District last year. In addition to these communities stepping up, single women and the LGBT community in the District have also played a significant role. The District is nationally leading in the number of single working female and LGBT foster care placements. In 2014, the LGBT community accounted for about 12 percent of placements in the city. Will you join CFSA as a valued partner in strengthening families, communities, and the District of Columbia? District residents, you can help keep DC kids in the city they call home by becoming a foster parent. Call 202.671.5683 or visit www.fosterdckids.org to begin the application process today. We’re in this Together The Child and Family Services Agency provides tangible support for DC children and youth in foster care and their foster parents. From medical care, clothing, and school supplies to short-term care for the children if you need a break, CFSA will help you care for District youth. Through CFSA, you also get the opportunity to join a network of fellow foster parents as part of our Family Connections Cluster program. DC-based foster parents in the program meet frequently to share resources, socialize, and support one another. It is only with the help of community members like you that CFSA can provide District children and teens in need with safe, temporary homes in DC that will sustain them through difficult times.

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Our community AND our children need us to step forward as foster parents. Do it to keep our kids safe and our neighborhoods strong. Register for an orientation today by calling

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The Washington Informer

Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Frank Conaway Sr. Remembered Longtime Maryland Politician Dead at 81 By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer His presence and personality helped to make him a pillar in Maryland for decades. That he was an African-American who happened to change his political affiliation last year to serve as a Republican did little to discourage his supporters, many of whom crossed party lines anyway. Frank M. Conaway Sr., the longtime clerk of the Baltimore City Circuit Court, is be-

FESTIVAL 2015

ing remembered by the many in Charm City and Prince George’s County and around the state who knew him and the many more his work helped. Conaway died on Sunday, Feb. 15, at age 81. “He loved the people, the process and the political arena,” said his son, Frank M. Conaway Jr., who represents the 40th District in the Maryland House of Delegates. Conaway Jr. said his father believed in working hard and making a decent living for himself and his family.

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Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake called Conaway Sr. a truly dedicated public servant who redefined what was possible for generations of local African-Americans. “Baltimore has lost a true leader and unbridled voice of the people in Frank Conaway, and I am deeply saddened to learn of his passing,” said Maryland Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings. “Frank was a friend and mentor to me for more than 35 years. As a tireless advocate for the Baltimore community, he dedicated his life to public service and loved every moment of it. His desire to help those around him and lift others up was present in all of his work,” Cummings said. Born in Baltimore on March 16, 1933, Conaway attended the city’s public schools and served in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Morgan State University in 1960 and became an insurance executive. He first held public office in 1971 when he won election as a member of the House of Delegates, representing the city’s District 4. Conaway later served on the state’s Comprehensive Health Planning Commission. Eventually, Conaway became the clerk, where he thrived. “Frank Conaway, Sr. exhibited a rare strain of political courage that exhibited itself through independence and conviction,” said Elder Cortly “C.D.” Witherspoon Sr., the chief servant of the City Revival Ministries and president of the Baltimore Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. “He didn’t seek approval or validation. His truth primary was his guide and his moral compass. He represented a generation of black elected officials who broke into the segregated goodold boys club and integrated it. His unique brand of leadership inspired generations of public figures, [politicians] and activists alike. But, above all, he did it Frank’s way,” Witherspoon said. Conaway also displayed no fear of being too outspoken, particularly when he thought it to be in the best interest of Baltimore residents. In an op-ed column he wrote after his failed 2011 mayoral bid, Conaway said his campaign was as simple as it gets; it was about The Washington Informer

Longtime Maryland politician Frank Conaway Sr. died in his sleep Sunday, Feb. 15. He was 81. /Photo courtesy Baltimore Times

jobs, jobs, jobs. “In an economic climate that has millions of Marylanders struggling to pay their bills, it makes no sense that Congress would forgo one of the most imperative policies that has offered at least some form of relief to the citizens they are elected to represent,” he wrote. “Allowing the much needed long-term unemployment benefits of millions of Americans to expire has to be the most disastrous misstep taken by the members of the 112th Congress in 2013,” the post continued. In another post just two months ago, Conaway cautioned about politicizing the recent police incidents and lack of grand jury indictments in Missouri and in New York. “The recent influx of citizen unrest due to a rash of officer-related homicides, has left the American citizenry skeptical of the greater good police departments bring to communities nationwide, especially that of traditionally violent neighborhoods that tend to have a majority of minority residents,” Conaway said. “And while these atrocious acts of injustice have left our leaders clueless as to how to effectively move forward the very constituencies they are elected to represent, it leaves an obvious

void of ineffective leadership that has largely silenced the intellectual voices of opposition that continues to grow with each case of injustice,” he said. Conaway noted that, as an 81-year-old public servant who had spent more than half of his life backing the interests of one constituency or another, he found that constructive criticism lead to a more productive society. “In Baltimore, we seem to have gotten away from the very programs and policies that had led to our city being referred to as Charm City, instead of the home of ‘The Wire,’” he said. His bluntness was appreciated by many who called him a peer, friend or family member. “Nobody had the presence and personality of Frank Conaway, a businessman and fixture in city politics,” Gov. Larry Hogan said. “Frank loved people, and the people loved him, too.” Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford said he had lunch with Conaway last week. “He was a pillar of the African-American community and an advocate for all people,” Rutherford said. “I will miss him very much.” Funeral plans have not yet been announced for Conaway, who is survived by his wife and three children.WI

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDUCATION BRIEFS concepts. The sessions will be held: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 3 Oxon Hill High School 6701 Leyte Drive Oxon Hill, Maryland 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 11 Charles Herbert Flowers High School 10001 Ardwick-Ardmore Road Springdale, Maryland 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 1 Laurel High School 8000 Cherry Lane Laurel, Maryland For more information, call 30l-9526115. District 1 Board of Education member Zabrina Epps will host a series of Morning Chats beginning on Saturday, March 14, at Panera Bread - Vista Gardens Marketplace, in Bowie, Maryland. /Photo courtesy Zabrina Epps

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

Youth@Work/Summer Youth Employment Program

Students ages 15 to 19 are encouraged to apply for the county’s Youth@Work/Summer Youth Enrichment Program, which provides an opportunity for them to participate in career development, life skills training and summer employment opportunities. This year’s initiative results from a collaboration among Prince George’s Community College, the Greater Prince George’s County Business Roundtable, the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, Public George’s County Public Schools, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Prince George’s County Government. County youth may apply for positions in the public and private sectors through several resources, including the county government and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. While county government positions will be open Feb. 27 – March 27, successful completion of the

program requires four face-to-face classes, four online classes, and the completion of a computer-based assessment. Training will be held at these locations: Crossland High School, 6901 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, Maryland 20748 Parkdale High School, 6001 Good Luck Road, Riverdale, Maryland 20737 Central High School, 200 Cabin Branch Road, Capitol Heights, Maryland 20743 Largo High School, 505 Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20774 Suitland High School, 5200 Silver Hill Road, District Heights, Maryland 20747 High Point High School, 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 For more information, call 301-8836200.

8:30 a.m., Saturday, March 14 Panera Bread - Vista Gardens Marketplace, 10531 Martin Luther King Junior Highway in Bowie, Maryland. The other two chats will be held from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Saturday, April 18 at Panera Bread, 10914 Baltimore Ave. in Beltsville, Maryland, and from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2, Panera Bread at the Towne Center at Laurel, 14806 Baltimore Avenue in Laurel, Maryland.

Dance Showcase Matinee

The third annual “Dance Show-

case Matinee” will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 20, at Suitland High School in Forestville, Maryland. Participants include student performers from across Prince George’s County, Visual and Performing Arts middle and high schools, and the Prince George’s County Public School High School Honors Dance Ensemble. Student tickets are $5, and chaperones can attend for free. For more information, call 301808-8317.WI

Morning Chats

The public is invited to join District 1 Board of Education member Zabrina Epps for the first of three “Morning Chats,” from 7 a.m. to

DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Understanding Common Core

The county’s Board of Education will present three events that will help students, parents and others learn, explore and understand the Common Core initiative, which focuses a clear set of math skills and

Prince George’s County businesses that PRE-REGISTER with the Recycling Section by calling 301-883-3635, may be able to participate and recycle their electronics for free. Due to limitations, this is a first call, first serve opportunity for the commercial sector.

RE CYCLE YO U R O LD T E LE V I S I O N A N D CO MP U T E R E Q U I P ME N T

FREE AND OPEN TO ALL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY RESIDENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT COUNTY CLICK 3-1-1 ** MAXIMUM OF FIVE (5) MONITORS AND TELEVISIONS PER RESIDENT.

SOURCE REDUCTION TIP: Reduce paper usage by printing on both sides. The third annual “Dance Showcase Matinee” takes place on March 20 at Suitland High School in Forestville, Maryland./ Image courtesy PGCPS

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The Washington Informer

Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

NATIONAL

Vehicle Vandalism Increasing in Metro Area By Khari Arnold Howard University News Service The U Street, LeDroit Park and Shaw neighborhoods in Northwest Washington have seen an alarming increase in car-related break-ins, vandalism and thefts in the early part of the year, police report. Police said someone operating a dark sport utility vehicle was seen driving around and smashing windows in the LeDroit Park area around 3 a.m. Feb. 4 in what appeared to be just vandalism rather than targeted robbery. “This is not a typical case that LeDroit Park is used to,” said Brian Footer, an advisory neighborhood commissioner for Ward 1. Later that day, during daylight hours, 25 vehicles located in a Howard University parking lot had their windows broken, and a number of items were stolen, Howard University Chief of Police Brian Jordan said. The Metropolitan Police Department said the cases have been assigned to a single detective and are being investigated as related offenses. A number of vehicle breakins were also reported in the 400 block of U Street during a threeweek time span, police said. A

burglar tried to break into a vehicle late last month, but ran away after the alarm was triggered. A week later, a police report was filed in an attempt to steal a separate car on the same block. The owner of the vehicle, Clark Cheney, said the burglar broke his steering column and removed the ignition cylinder, but an anti-theft immobilizer prevented the vehicle from being stolen. On Feb. 10, a plumber came to Cheney’s residence for a service call, and when he finished his work, he returned to his truck to find his window shattered and a laptop stolen. Two days later, the contractor of Cheney’s neighbor filed a police report after his laptop was stolen and his car window was broken on the 400 block of U Street. “I really don’t want our neighborhood to feel like this is normal and that we have to accept it,” Cheney said. “Because it’s not normal, we don’t have to accept it.” Police have reported multiple car break-ins in other parts of the metro area. Police said 15 cars were broken into in Georgetown in one incident on Feb. 1. That same morning, in Northern Virginia, 17 cars were found broken into with smashed windows and stolen items of value,

Automobile break-ins have surged in recent weeks in Northwest. Police have yet to determine the culprits. /Courtesy photo

according to an Arlington police report. Fourteen vehicles were also damaged on Feb. 7 in a parking garage on Clarendon Boulevard, along with five vehicles on a nearby street that were affected the next day. In Chevy Chase, Maryland, police arrested two suspects on Feb. 12 who they said broke inside a “bait car” parked on Primrose Street. The suspects, who police said had stolen items in their possession, were charged with the break-in of at least four other cars on the street. Police are requesting that drivers remove all personal belongings before exiting the car and to contact them if anything suspicious is noticed. Cheney said he hopes to see a strong partnership with police

officers in the neighborhood. He views it as important that neighbors in the community begin to look out for one another and stay alert of crimes. “The neighborhood needs to be vigilant so that our neighborhood develops a reputation that

it’s not an easy target,” he said. “Apparently, the word is out that thieves can come to our neighborhood and destroy the property of others without any consequences. We need to counteract that.”WI

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DCPS BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

Marriott Hosts Students’ Career Day

About 60 of the District’s public high school students joined Chancellor Kaya Henderson and Arne Sorenson, CEO and president of Marriott International, on Feb. 19 for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the Marriott International headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. The students, who are enrolled at the National Academy Foundation Career Academies at Wilson High School and Columbia Heights Education Campus, learned from several Marriott executives – including Thomas Penny, chair of the of Hospitality & Tourism Industry Advisory Board at Marriott – who shared insight about their about career paths. The students also attended a luncheon where Sorenson served as the keynote speaker. District officials opened seven new NAF Academies this year at six high schools in the fields of information technology, engineering, and hospitality and tourism. Through the academies, students learn the skills necessary for success in college and high-wage, high-demand careers.

Completion Month in the District of Columbia. In doing so, OSSE has taken the lead on a District-wide effort to encourage and provide opportunities for high school seniors to apply for their share of more than $150 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds. “We’re holding a campaign to get the word out and to make sure that

D.C. students get their share of federal funds – including $30 million that has been specifically earmarked for them,” said OSSE spokeswoman Victoria Holmes. Holmes added that the government allocations, which can help with tuition and other academic needs, are available through June 30 on a first-come, firstserved basis.

Niles Commits to Students’ Success

During a Washington Teachers’ Union-sponsored conference on Feb. 21, Jennifer Niles, the District’s newly appointed deputy mayor for education, said she’s ready to stand “side by side” with District school officials, parents and the community to improve the academic outcomes of all students. Niles, who assumed her post late last year, describes herself as someone

who grew up with a passion for science and community service. “Much of my professional life has been in charter schools, but it is not charter schools that I think are the answer,” Niles was quoted as saying at the conference. “We need to do everything we can to get to the answer, and [D.C. Public Schools] is an absolutely critical, vital, foundational component of what we need to do for kids.”WI

“With Cardinal, our dream kitchen became a reality.”

New Principal at Brookland Middle School

Chancellor Kaya Henderson recently announced the appointment of Norah Lycknell as the new principal of Brookland Middle School in Northeast. Lycknell, who currently holds the principal position at Janney Elementary School, will transition to her new post over the next several months. She will lead Brookland full-time starting June 29. A letter from Henderson regarding Lycknell’s appointment states that Lycknell, who has three master’s degrees, has served District students for the past 11 years. “She is a Nationally Board Certified teacher for Middle Grades who served as a teacher at both Fletcher-Johnson Middle School and Miner Elementary School before becoming the resident principal at Eliot-Hine Middle School,” Henderson wrote. “In 2009, Ms. Lycknell was chosen to lead Janney Elementary School, where she has held high standards for all students, made progress in closing student achievement gaps across racial and socioeconomic lines, and grown the school’s enrollment for each of the last five years.” A meet-and-greet reception for Lycknell will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26, at Brookland Middle School.

FAFSA Application Assistance

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education has designated the month of February as Free Application for Federal Student Aid

1.79 3.00

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www.cardinalbank.com The Washington Informer

Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

BUSINESS BUSINESS EXCHANGE

Payday Loans Business Opportunities Blacks may want to explore the “cash now” industry’s fast growing business financing trough: Payday loans, check cashing, factoring and invoice discounting. “Cash in a Flash” payday loan offers are everywhere these days, from the local strip mall to the Internet; the industry is booming. A new study reveals that 5.5 percent of American adults – 12 million people – receive $7.4 billion annually from payday lenders. That means that the industry is a viable business opportunity. The industry’s loans can be very costly. Because these loans have such short terms, their cost is very high. In return for the loan, the borrower usually provides the lender with a pre-dated check or debit authorization.

By William Reed Generally, anyone with a checking account and steady income can obtain a payday loan. However, most of this industry’s borrowers don’t have access to credit cards or savings accounts. These loans don’t require a credit check, therefore people with no credit or credit problems most often turn to payday loans. Military personnel and recent immigrants also commonly use payday loans. It’s crucial to all parties that payday loans are repaid as soon as possible. Because the risks

to the investor are high, payday loans are much more expensive than other methods of borrowing. In most cases the annual percentage rate (APR) on a payday loan averages about 400 percent versus a standard APR of 12 percent. Numerous states have very specific laws that regulate this lending industry. Called “usury laws” these regulations define permissible lending terms and rates. Some states also have laws that regulate the amount a payday lender can lend to consumers and how much they can charge for the loan. Other states ban payday lending outright. If you sign up, you will not be alone. In the United States there are over a 100,000 businesses that operate as non-depository credit institutions. These businesses employ over 500,000 people and provide gross annual payrolls in excess of $22 billion dollars. People can participate in this industry as a home-based business, or operate out of an office or small retail storefront.

This type business can be a great add-on to services such as travel agencies, tax preparation businesses, and mortgage and real estate offices. These businesses also offer factoring, invoice discounting, check cashing, and business financing. Progreso Financiero is a model for what ethnic groups can do in payday lending. It is a leading Hispanic financial services company for customers needing a loan to pay for a car repair or other unexpected bill. The signs for Progreso Financiero are on over 74 kiosk-type outlets in Hispanic supermarkets in California and Texas, where its agents offer unsecured loans to working people with thin credit histories. The venture-backed private company charges much more than a bank loan, but lends to customers that banks often don’t serve. The nation’s largest payday loan companies annually earn over $1.5 billion in combined revenues. Payday loan businesses offer loans on a face-to-face

basis where permissible and via the Internet. A payday loan (also called a payday advance, salary loan, payroll loan, small dollar loan, short term, or cash advance loan) is a small, short-term unsecured loan. Such a business operation will expect to cater to a large audience of lower income people that have limited access to banking services and/ or credit. Twelve percent of African-Americans have taken out payday loans, more than twice the number of Whites (4 percent). Most payday loan business borrowers are White, female, and are 25 to 44 years old. There are five groups that have higher odds of using a payday loan: those without a four-year college degree; home renters; African Americans; those earning below $40,000 annually; and those separated or divorced.WI William Reed is publisher of “Who’s Who in Black Corporate America” and available for projects via Busxchng@his.com.

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The Washington Informer

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BUSINESS kanda said. “But I love a unique authentic experience, and this is it. It doesn’t get more D.C. than this.” Ayenubizu Yimenu, the owner of The Big Chair Coffee ’N Grill across the street at 2122 King Ave., said that people come to eat at her restaurant and then head over to Uniontown for dancing. The Big Chair Coffee ’N Grill

was one of the first sit-down restaurants in the neighborhood and, like Uniontown, was shut down for a brief stint of time due to some legal issues. Since it first opened in 2010, Yimenu has had trouble getting an entertainment license so that she can get a DJ, but she isn’t fretting over lost business. “People still come in here,” she said. “They like my food.”WI

Patrons enjoy the food, music and vibe at Uniontown Bar and Grill, in the Anacostia community. /Courtesy photo

Uniontown Bar Brings Nightlife to Anacostia By Anissa Pierre Howard University News Service It’s a frigid Friday night, and the entertainment centers of the city – Chinatown, U Street, Georgetown, H Street, Capitol Hill, Adams Morgan and Barracks Row – are flourishing with people crowded into bars and restaurants, eager to warm their fingers and enjoy good food and interesting chatter. In the Southeast neighborhood of Anacostia, however, the streets are dead. The only exception is on the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. That is the home of Uniontown Bar and Grill, one of only two sit-down restaurants in the neighborhood. Anchoring the corner of King Avenue and W Street, Uniontown sits across for the neighborhood’s iconic Big Chair and the Big Chair Coffee and Grill, the only other sit-down restaurant. Like Uniontown, it also recently reopened after being closed. Uniontown is unassuming on the outside. The only indication that something is going on inside comes from the few patrons standing outside to have a smoke. Inside is a crowd of diverse ages. People are buying drinks, chatting, laughing and dancing to deafening music as a disco ball shoots multicolored lights across the walls and floors. Now under new management after the previous owner’s conviction on drug charges, Uniontown has an authentic Washing-

Singing sensations can be heard at one of the newer venues in Southeast. /Courtesy photo

ton feel. It offers themed drinks, like the Marion Barry, the Chuck Brown and the Ballou Knight, which is named after the mascot of nearby Ballou High School. On the second level, patrons listen and dance to go-go, a form of music that originated in Washington, and enjoy hookah Tonight, Jackie Maddox and her daughter, Christine Montgomery, collect entrance fees at the front door and give out wristbands for re-entry. They both frequent the bar throughout the week. “The people draw me here,” said Montgomery, a meeting planner who lives in the neighborhood. “It’s a family atmosphere.” Montgomery is greeted by almost every customer with a hug and a promise to meet later. The restaurant opens every day at 11 a.m. and closes at midnight, with the exception of Sundays, when it opens at 1 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, when it stays open until 2:30 a.m. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., and each

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night there is a new attraction — comedy nights on Wednesdays, motorcycle night on Mondays. “On the weekdays, it’s a mature crowd, and everyone comes after work to unwind,” Maddox, 54, said. “They have karaoke and jazz here. It’s really nice atmosphere.” In 2012, the restaurant closed after being open for about a year after the owner pleaded guilty to selling cocaine. Aftermath, which plays R&B, pop and go-go, has been playing at Uniontown for three weeks Vocalist Tiny lives in Ward 8 and was coming to the bar well before her band started playing there. “It’s a decent bar,” she said.. “It’s in the community, so you can get something to eat, watch the game. It’s a nice stop.” Dmaz, 39, is a native Californian, but he said feels completely immersed in the culture whenever he’s at Uniontown. “Pure and uncut” is how the Howard University graduate describes Uniontown. “I’m not from D.C.,” LumuThe Washington Informer

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Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

HEALTH

Walk, Run to Help Homeless Children By Francisca Fournillier Howard University News Service Mariah, a homeless mother living in a Washington shelter, still remembers how her 4-yearold son, Willy, struggled with his speech. That was before he enrolled in Bright Beginnings. The facility gave him speech therapy and other services he needed to improve. Bright Beginnings, which provides quality childcare for the

homeless families in Washington, has been helping children like Willy for more than 20 years, and it plans to continue to do so. Now, Bright Beginnings officials said, the organization needs your help. This is the weekend it hosts its annual 5 km walk/run at 8 a.m. in West Potomac Park. The event helps the organization raise money to continue to serve scores of homeless infants, toddlers and preschoolers and their families free of charge. Services include education, therapy and health care for families living

in crisis shelters or in transitional housing complexes. Whitney Faison, a volunteer and communication specialist at Bright Beginnings, said the goal for this year is $75,000, and the money this year will allow the organization to expand its efforts. “We’re building a second center in, hopefully, this June,” Faison said. “We’ll break ground on that, and that will help us serve an additional 100 infants and toddlers. So, all of our funds right now really, besides just general operating fees and anything else that we’ve raised especially with the 5K, will go towards that second center.” The second Bright Beginnings facility will begin construction this June, and its tentative open-

Bright Beginnings wants to raise enough money to care for more homeless. /Courtesy photo

College student Veronica Zucarello is one of the many volunteers who help educate and take care of Bright Beginnings children. /Courtesy photo

ing date is scheduled for August 2016. The second location will be placed on Fourth Street by the Congress Heights Metro station, across from Ballou High School. Bright Beginnings is expanding due to the high demand for free quality child care in D.C., Faison said. The organization is hoping for a larger turnout this year, Faison said, in order to raise more money. “Usually have 200 to 300 people register for the 5K, which is a pretty nice group,” she said. “So, it’s a good size. It’s very early in the morning, but everyone is really energetic. And we have several prizes for different groups. And it’s nice to see who’s participating.” Despite the cold weather, Faison urges people to come out and show their support for D.C.’s homeless children.

“I would encourage people just to think about the lives that are impacted by their efforts,” she said. “Every registration goes towards just improving the quality of life for a child who is very vulnerable.” Crowdrise was created for people who may not walk or run, but still want to donate to Bright Beginnings. The fundraising page allows co-workers, community groups, friends and family to donate and raise funds. Mariah said she and her son, along with many other Bright Beginnings families, will participate in the walk. For more information on the walk, go to http://www.brightbeginningsinc.org/5k/ or visit https://www.crowdrise.com/ BrightBeginnings5K-2015 to donate. WI

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www.united-medicalcenter.com Marquita Holmes, longtime Bright Beginnings employee, works with in children in the Early Head Start classrooms. /Courtesy photo

18 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

The Washington Informer

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Moving Forward: Know Your History for Better Health Submitted by AmeriHealth District of Columbia

Black History Month reminds us of our heritage and culture. It’s a time to look back, but also a chance to look forward. A great way to celebrate is by focusing on the importance of your health. Looking at the history of our family’s health can help us create a healthier future for all of us. Medical conditions can touch many cultures differently. Knowing your family’s health history and practicing preventive care can help you reduce the risk of health issues faced by our communities. For instance, diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) are 2 main health concerns for African-Americans. The good news is, both can be prevented and controlled. Although diabetes and hypertension are 2 different conditions, they can both affect each other. In fact, people with diabetes can also have hypertension. Diabetes is a condition where blood glucose (sugar) levels are too high. Hypertension is when a person’s blood pressure is too high. So both conditions involve too much of something in your body. Getting your glucose and blood pressure to safe levels can help stop serious problems, including a heart attack or stroke. Both diabetes and hypertension are genetic. This means they can be passed on from parent to child. And since they are both more common for African-Americans, it’s important to take all the right steps to stay healthy. There are many ways to avoid these conditions — even if you are at risk because they run in your family. Here are some ways you can lower your risk of diabetes and hypertension: •

•

Watch what you eat. Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Stay away from foods and drinks high in sugar and sodium (salt). To satisfy your thirst, drink plenty of water. You can also try sugar-free juices and low-fat milk. For those with or at risk for hypertension, a low-sodium diet can help lower your blood pressure. Foods high in potassium can also help. No matter what your health condition is, eating healthy is a smart way to fight some diseases. Get plenty of exercise. February is cold, but there are plenty of ways to stay active inside. Squats, sit-ups and push-ups are easy to do at home. Start slow

and build your strength little by little. Another great indoor activity is yoga. Or, try playing games that involve movement or dance. No matter how you choose to be active, keep your body moving for at least 30 minutes each day. Children should be active for at least 60 minutes each day. •

Maintain a healthy weight. Eating right and exercising daily are great ways to keep a healthy weight. If you are having trouble with your weight, talk to your doctor. He or she may have a plan that is right for you. Your doctor may also ask you to talk to a nutritionist. A nutritionist is someone who guides people on what to eat to live a healthy lifestyle or reach health goals.

•

Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Alcoholic beverages are full of sugars and can raise blood pressure. If you choose to drink, limit yourself — 1 drink for women and 2 for men.

•

Don’t smoke. Smoking is especially bad for people with diabetes and hypertension. It raises blood pressure and can put you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. If you know someone who needs help quitting, call 1-800-Quit-Now.

There are lots of temptations throughout the winter season, but you have the power to make healthy choices. Get active and eat healthy. Take some time to learn your family’s health history. Move forward with better health. It’s time to celebrate black history by celebrating your health! Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Office of Minority Health Resource Center All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model.

...because I know my doctor and she knows me. My name is Kyra and I visit my doctor every year before school starts. I like going to the doctor because she gives me the shots I need to be healthy throughout the school year. To see the I am healthy series and get tips on ways to stay healthy, visit www.amerihealthdc.com/iamhealthy. SM

This program is funded in part by the Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance.

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The Washington Informer

Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

HEALTH

A youth grits her teeth as she gets vaccinated for the measles virus. /Courtesy photo

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Measles Cases Rise, Many Refuse Vaccination By Rachel Kersey Howard University News Service

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Public health officials are urging Washington-area residents to get vaccinated following a report that a case of measles – an extremely contagious disease that can lead to pneumonia, swelling of the brain and even death — has been reported in the area. But despite calls from President Barack Obama, Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, public health commissioners in Virginia and Baltimore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health organizations for parents to vaccinate children, some parents are saying no. Monee Fisher, a 19-year-old mother with a 1-year-old daughter named Melissa, stood laughing with her arms crossed and a pink lollipop in her mouth as she said adamantly that she refused to give her daughter the measles vaccine. “I don’t believe in medicine,” Fisher said. “I just think it’s another way for the government to make money off of humans, and I don’t think [vaccines] actually work.” Health department officials said the Washington measles case is linked to international travel and not the measles outbreak that began in California and has spread across the nation. As of early February, 121 cases of measles have been reported in Washington, D.C., and 17 states, according to the CDC. Mahlori Isaacs, the media and public affairs officer of the District of Columbia Department of Health, declined to give information about the infected individual here. “Specific information pertaining to the patient or where they were treated cannot be disclosed in order to protect the identity of the individual and the integrity of the facility that provided the patient care,” Isaacs said. With the location of the outbreak a mystery, measles could be at the grocery store, the mall, the playground, the public bathroom or any number of places.

The Washington Informer

“I think people really need to know that you can get measles anywhere,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the assistant surgeon general and director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “It’s invisible.” Ninety percent of the people close to an infected person could become infected with measles, according to the U.S. surgeon general’s website. Prior to the measles vaccinations in 1963, the U.S. averaged 450 measles-related deaths annually, and more than 150,000 Americans were stricken with measles-related respiratory infections and other serious ailments, according to health officials. Authorities have said the resurgence of the disease is mostly caused by the growing number of people who are declining to vaccinate their children for personal reasons or delaying the vaccinations. Regardless, Fisher said she refuses to budge on her decision regarding her daughter, even after Melissa’s father, Erick Souder, 19, argued with her about her stance on vaccinations. “I’m not wrong,” she said. “I’m right. They’re just making money off of us.” Fisher said she doesn’t ever plan to vaccinate Melissa and will instead seek an exemption. And she’s not worried at all about the danger to other children. “I mean, I don’t really care about the other children,” she said, laughing. “That’s going to sound rude, but their parents do what they want. It’s their kid. This is for my daughter.” Under D.C. law, people can get exemptions from the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for medical or religious reasons, but according to Schuchat, 79 percent of the unvaccinated cases of measles in 2014 were due to personal belief exceptions, as in Fisher’s case. “It is frustrating that some people have opted out of vaccination,” Schuchat said. “I think it’s very important for people to have good information they can rely on about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. “I hope people can realize these viruses and other germs are out there

still and our vaccines really are still needed.” And vaccines really are effective as well. According to the CDC’s website, one dose of the MMR vaccine is 93 percent effective at preventing measles, and a second dose is about 97 percent effective. Raven Glinton, a teacher’s aide and mother of one, said she didn’t think it mattered whether children were vaccinated. “I say that because I work in child care now,” Glinton said. “We have kids in there that are vaccinated, and they still get sick. They’re kids. They pick up toys on the floor. They’re likely to get sick anyways.” Glinton said she did not get her daughter vaccinated against every disease, and she does not remember if she got her daughter the MMR vaccine. “I can see why some people say [exemptions aren’t] fair, but, I mean, you can die from anything,” Glinton said. Some people and parents said they don’t mind Glinton or Fisher’s attitude, regardless of whether their children are vaccinated or not. “It’s really important for children to avoid getting measles [by getting vaccinated],” Maileen De Asis said. “But I don’t think we have control over {exemptions). “There’s no point in stopping them from getting mixed with children with the vaccine, because I think the measles vaccine is somehow going to prevent measles from happening.” Daizja Hamilton, a sales associate at Pentagon City Mall, agreed. “At the end of the day, some people’s immune systems are stronger,” Hamilton said. “Some people may never get it. They may never be vaccinated ever, and they may never get sick with anything. “ Sonia Chhabra, who works with Hamilton, echoed her co-worker’s thoughts. “To each their own,” Chhabra said. “If that’s what the parents decide, this is still a free country. You can’t do anything about that.” WI

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EDUCATION

Last year’s spelling bee winner for the District, Greer Marshall, with friends, family and sponsors of the event. /Washington Informer photo

Greer Marshall (left), joined by her mother and a bee representative, took home for the District in last year’s spelling bee. /Washington Informer photo

Youth Spelling Their Way to Success

Gas and Southwest Airlines, the Washington Informer has been and continues to be a committed sponsor for the Spelling Bee. “We’re happy to be part of the local contest again this year,” said

Hard Work May Lead One Student to National Bee By D. Kevin McNeir WI Managing Editor Grammar and middle school students from across the District have been reading their dictionaries, practicing with flash cards and counting syllables on their fingers – all hoping to soon put a gold-plated trophy on their shelf and take home the bragging rights of being the best speller around. Since Tuesday, Feb. 24 and continuing through Thursday, Feb. 26, cluster bees have been going on at Capitol Hill Montessori in Northeast where boys and girls from public, private and charter schools across the District, have been representing their places of learning, competing against one another in the opening round of the 33rd annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee. Each school registered for the national competition holds a bee – the top three moved on to a cluster bee which took place this week. The finals will be taped by NBC4 on Saturday, March 14 at the television station’s studio in Northwest and aired at a later date. Last year, Greer Marshall, then an 11-year-old sixth grader at Alice Deal Middle School in Northwest, took first place after correctly spelling “revelatory.” Like Greer, this year’s winner of the March 14th “spelldown” will go on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, traditionally held during the Memorial Day weekend, where he or she will go up against hundreds of other elementary and middle school students. The very first Scripps Bee took place in 1925 with nine students. It has been held every year since

then, except for a short period during World War II. E.W. Scripps Company took ownership of the event in 1941. If you’ve never attended a spelling bee, you should expect it to be both educational and entertaining. As each round goes by, the competition mounts as nervous students await their next turn at the mic. Any student younger than 16 who has not advanced beyond the eighth grade can compete. But the road to the finals begins months before the actual qualifying clusters take place. Some students have been working with their teachers and parents since the fall, solidifying their grasp of root words, irregular letter combinations, honing in on sounds and reviewing spelling strategies. Some have even participated in weekly sessions with spelling clubs sponsored at their schools. And as round goes by, the competition mounts as nervous students await their next turn at the mic. A spokesperson for the nonprofit Scripps Spelling Bee said soon after a winner has been crowned at the national contest in May, the company’s employees begin to prepare word lists and related study materials to help youth prepare for the next competition. “We estimate that each year we have about 11 million students who participate in the spelling bees which start in their classrooms and build up to the championship at the end of May in the District of Columbia,” said Chris Kemper. Along with Pepco, Coca-Cola, Nielsen, Giant Foods, Washington

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Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of the Washington Informer whose newspaper has provided financial and in-kind assistance for over 30 years. “We always hope to have a na-

tional winner come from the District, but we’re proud of all of the students who have done their best and competed throughout the past three decades,” she said. WI

FAME

Foundation for the Advancement of Music & Education P R E S E N T S

SUMMER MUSIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM Applications are open for FAME’s Summer Music Technology Program, at the beautiful, state-of-the-art and friendly atmosphere of our partner the University of Maryland College Park School of Music, 2110 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. This program is designed for Prince George’s County MD students entering grades 8 through 12. Each student is given ample opportunities to: • Explore cutting edge recording software, i.e. Pro Tools, Sibelius & Garage Band • Experiment with music composition • Learn about and prepare for education and career opportunities in music • Develop proficiency in computer technology • Produce finished CD and MP3 files to share digitally and publish online • Enjoy Master Classes with recording artists, engineers and producers • Learn proper use of social media and other online tools Applicants must submit a nomination form from a music teacher, and each selected student will receive full scholarship and a certificate of completion. The program culminates with a showcase of students’ creative projects. PROGRAM DATES 9:00am - 4:00pm daily: Week A: July 6 -10, 2015 Or Week B: July 13 -17, 2015 Registration deadline: March 31, 2015 To register and for detailed Information, visit www.fameorg.org Call 301.805.5358 This program made possible in part by funding from: Prince George’s County Community Partnership Grant; Prince George’s County Council Members: Andrea Harrison (District 5), Derrick Leon Davis (District 6), Obie Patterson (District 8) and Mel Franklin (District 9); and United Way of the National Capital Area.

w w w. f a m e o r g . o r g The Washington Informer

Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

EDUCATION

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22 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

On Friday, Feb. 20, the Omicron Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. hosted a presentation on educator Nannie Helen Burroughs. Retired Col. Jim Wyatt, the founder of the Nannie Helen Burroughs Project, said he’s committed to making sure that her many contributions to the District are never forgotten. “She’s barely mentioned in the history books, but she had a profound impact on black history and the black community in D.C.,” Wyatt said. Burroughs founded the National Training School for Women and Girls in Northeast in 1909. The school taught religious, vocational and academic classes to African-American girls and women. She presided over the school until her death in 1961. Today, the National Training School for Women and Girls is now the Nannie Helen Burroughs School, a private elementary school. Born in Orange, Virginia, in 1879, she came to the district at 5 years old. Showing promise as a leader early, she graduated from M Street School, which is now known as Dunbar High School. She gained national attention from her 1900 speech at the National Baptist Convention, where she called out the patriarchy in the Baptist church and argued for greater roles for women in the church. The Washington Informer

Burroughs was known as a dominant force throughout the District in her work for civil rights and women’s rights. In 1976, Mayor Walter Washington designated May 10 as Nannie Helen Burroughs Day. “No one even knows who she is, and I think that is a shame. She has her own day in this town, and it goes unnoticed and uncelebrated,” said Wyatt. “She was a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. [and] a founder of the National Association of Colored Women. She was a close confidant to Frederick Douglass [and] a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. As a people we have to remember our history.” Wyatt came to the District in 2006 from New Jersey after retiring from the military. It was during his time playing golf at the historic Langston golf course that he noticed a street named after Burroughs. After years of research, an educational campaign was birthed in 2010. Wyatt travels around the country doing presentations free of charge – purely for the love and admiration of Burroughs. “When I found out who the lady was, I suddenly realized there was somebody who had the same principles as my mother. She validated me,” said Wyatt. Wyatt believes the no-nonsense, straight-laced approach that captured him is probably a reason for her apparent blackballing from American history. Burroughs often spoke out against the “imperfect” behavior of Negros, as well as speaking

against black civil rights and religious leaders. In her “12 Things The Negro Must Do for Himself,” she said things like “stop charging their failures up to their color and to white people’s attitude” and “stop expecting God and white folks to do for him or her what he or she can do for themselves.” “She was balanced, and she was fair. Yes, she went after the Negro community, but she also went after the whites with “12 Things White Folks Must Stop Doing,” like “stop penalizing Negroes for not being white” and “stop teaching basic untruths about race,” said Wyatt. Although keeping Burroughs’ legacy alive has been a struggle, there are some sources of light. The Howard University School of Divinity has a week it dedicates to her legacy. In December 2014, DC Water named its Tunnel Boring Machine project after her, which is going to clean up the Anacostia River, Potomac River and Rock Creek. “As president of the Omicron Gamma chapter and Colonel Wyatt being my frat brother, I thought this program was necessary. Not a lot of people know about her. It’s Black History Month, and we always want to do something educational about our history. There was a need to learn this,” said University of the District of Columbia senior Eric Gray, Jr. WI

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H I S T O R Y

Harriet Tubman Historic Park Opens Maryland Senator Spearheaded Efforts By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer Democratic Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin said he embraces the old biblical saying “Out of the mouth of babes.” In fact, his granddaughter, then 9, inspired him to join efforts to help establish a new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park in Cambridge, Maryland. “What got me engaged in this project was my granddaughter had been assigned to do a Black History Month project for her school, and she chose Harriet Tubman,” Cardin said. “My granddaughter did a lot of homework on Harriet Tubman, and it got me to thinking about this.” Another Maryland Democratic senator, Barbara Mikulski, had already begun work to establish the Tubman park, and she introduced legislation in 2008. Eventually, Mikulski and others, including New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer, secured more than $900,000 in federal funds for infrastructure. Cardin later helped spearhead

efforts that eventually led to the state’s receiving $11 million in grants from various federal agencies toward the establishment of the park. “I recognized that this was a real opportunity to make a statement,” Cardin said. “I also found out that there is no other national park dedicated to a woman.” On Feb. 7, Cardin joined several lawmakers and other officials, including Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley and officials from the National Park Service, in the celebration of the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park. Descendants of Harriet Tubman were also present at the dedication, including family spokeswoman Patricia Ross Hawkins, who touted the courage and the inspiration that her family has drawn from the life of Tubman, who was born in Dorchester County, where she spent nearly 30 years as a slave. Born in Dorchester in March 1822, Tubman escaped slavery in 1849 but returned to the area numerous times over the course of 10 years to lead others to freedom.

The famous former slave led many through the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and refuges protected by those who were against slavery. The network helped African-American slaves find their way to freedom in Canada and the Northern states before slavery was abolished. “This is a great day for the Eastern Shore and our country, as we have the occasion to honor an iconic figure in our nation’s history and do so in a deeply beautiful and symbolic place to visit,” Cardin said of the park’s dedication. “There are few greater examples of bravery, valor and sacrifice about which to teach our future generations, so it is fitting that Harriet Tubman will become the first individual woman to have a national historical park named in her honor.” Already spread across three counties, the Tubman park has been afforded the ability to acquire seven other noncontiguous properties that were historically significant in Tubman’s life, Cardin said. The park consists of 2,775 acres in Dorchester County, 2,200 in Caroline and 775 in Talbot. The parcel in Dorchester County contains the home site of Jacob Jackson, a free African-American man who communicated with Tubman’s family members and allowed his house to be used as one of the first safe houses on the Un-

M O N T H

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) and Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley (sitting) help celebrate the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park on February 7, 2015. /Photo courtesy Stardem.com

derground Railroad leading out of the Eastern Shore. Along with the park system in Maryland, a park has been established in Auburn, New York, the town where Tubman died in 1913, that includes Tubman’s house, a home for the elderly that has been named for her, a nearby church and Fort Hill Cemetery, where she was buried. “What’s great too is that the president had already declared this a national monument and it has the historic park designation,” Cardin said. “For Tubman, the Eastern Shore is home, and her remarkable story of liberation speaks of skills born of hardship, her love

of family, her strength of spirit, all of which have their roots here,” said Michael Caldwell, regional director of the National Park Service. “The establishment of the National Historical Park raises Tubman’s story to the level of recognition befitting one of our nation’s heroes, a woman who was internationally renowned,” Caldwell said. “The National Park Service is eager to continue our work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Maryland, local officials and partners to make Tubman’s extraordinary story better known and understood throughout the nation.” WI

Restoration Stage, Inc. actors join students from Washington’s Eastern Senior High School in “Black Lives Matter” (1965-2015). Written and Directed by Courtney Baker-Oliver and Steven A. Butler, Jr, the show runs this Thursday and Friday (February 26 and February 27) at the Eastern Theater, located at 1700 East Capitol Street, Northeast. Tickets are available at restorationstageinc.com.

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Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

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Mandela’s Sketches Get U.S. Premiere Works From Prison Shown in S. Florida Gallery By D. Kevin McNeir WI Managing Editor As Black History Month 2015 comes to an end, expressions of excitement continue about an exhibition in South Florida that recently unveiled sketches completed by one of the world’s most respected leaders. Ten pieces, all drawn by Nelson Mandela and first conceived during his 27-year imprisonment, made their U.S. debut at the Ansin Family Art Gallery in the Miramar Cultural Center, which is located in the city of Miramar, Florida, just a short drive from Miami. The show opened on Feb. 2 and runs through Friday, Feb. 27. “We are honored to host this exclusive exhibition highlighting the works of one of the world’s greatest leaders,” said MCC Cul-

tural Affairs Director Valerie Norman Gammon. “It is especially poignant that though Mr. Mandela is gone physically, we get a glimpse of his [many years of] incarceration through these sketches.” She added that through a relationship with a local arts organization, Art Serve, that regularly curates works in the gallery, MCC’s goal was to obtain a unique exhibit with international appeal – “‘Mandela Messages: Art by and Inspired by Nelson Mandela’ was just that.” Selected artwork included 10 pieces from the House of Mandela Collection – a series of lithographs of color sketches that harken back to his nearly three decades of being imprisoned on Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa. In a handwritten note, Mande-

la detailed his motivation as an artist. “Today when I look at Robben Island, I see it as a celebration of the struggle and a symbol of the finest qualities of the human spirit, rather than as a monument to the brutal tyranny and oppression of apartheid,” he wrote. “In these sketches, I have attempted to color the island in ways that reflect the positive light in which I view it – Even the most fantastic dreams can be achieved if we are prepared to endure life’s challenges.” Several of his works have been shown in New York City for art gallery openings. However, the exhibit as a whole has never been shown in the U.S. prior to the debut in Florida. Mandela completed the sketches in May 2002 at his home in Johannesburg under the tutelage of his art teacher, Varenka Paschke, a young South African artist. Gammon said she hopes that seeing the exhibition will inspire today’s youth. “We hope to bring to the attention of young people the sacrifices of our world leaders,” she said. “We have also created a project, the classroom in the art

M O N T H

Nelson Mandela with one of his sketches that premiered in the U.S. in South Florida during Black History Month. /Courtesy photo

gallery, that we hope will serve as a carrot for adults to bring children, students and their family so they can be surrounded by the works of this great man. For me, Mandela brings to mind power, strength and tenacity.” Mandela, born July 18, 1918, began his career in a South African law firm. In 1961, he led a campaign to sabotage South

Africa’s ruling apartheid government that led to his arrest and imprisonment. After his release, he resumed his anti-apartheid activism, established multiracial elections and became the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Mandela died on Dec. 5, 2013, after a long illness at the age of 95.WI

Marching Toward

Destiny

White Reverse

Black

“It is this generation that will utilize our diversity and embrace it as our strength.”

From the establishment of the Town of North Brentwood to becoming the nation’s most affluent African-American jurisdiction, Prince George’s County has progressed over the generations because of the work and sacrifice of strong and committed people. We are a county with so much to offer. A place that continues to expand beyond our forefathers’ dreams. Destiny is within reach. Prince George’s County has a great history that tells a wonderful story of people who fought for equality, created better opportunities and who believe in their future.

PMS: Pantone 259 (C=55 M=100 Y=0 K=15) Pantone 199 (C=0 M=100 Y=62 K=0) Pantone 124 (C=0 M=28 Y=100 K=6)

Rushern L. Baker, III County Executive CMYK: Pantone 259 (C=55 M=100 Y=0 K=15) Pantone 199 (C=0 M=100 Y=62 K=0) Pantone 124 (C=0 M=28 Y=100 K=6)

24 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

The Washington Informer

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In 1969, Aisha Karimah and Jim Vance made history as two of the first African-American employees at NBC4.

45 years later, theyâ€™re still WORKING 4 YOU. We honor them as we recognize and celebrate

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Aisha Karimah Director of Community Affairs

Jim Vance Anchor, News 4

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B L A C K

H I S T O R Y

M O N T H

Tambra Raye Stevenson:

A Woman on a Mission to Spread Health to African-Americans through African Heritage Cuisine By Eve M. Ferguson It’s not an unusual sight to see a slim, bronze-skinned woman decked out in colorful African clothes, head wrapped in brilliant fabric with a market basket full of fresh African vegetables gliding elegantly across a verdant green field of grass — in Africa. But in the middle of D.C.’s ever expanding concrete jungle? Chances are that woman is Tambra Raye Stevenson, a woman on a mission to change the health of African-Americans by teaching and demonstrating African heritage cooking through her organization, NativSol Kitchen. She calls her work “nutrition justice” because of her emphasis on knowing one’s history, along with radical reconstruction of traditional African recipes to focus on healthy ingredients that restructure and enhance the typical diets of African diaspora people. “The vision came to me in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, visiting down on the Gulf,” said Stevenson, an Oklahoma native. “The question came to me about how do I make an impact on my own community. A year after that, my dad died. To know someone who loved cooking, loved health and not to see his dream realized of having his own healthy restaurant after retiring from the Oklahoma State Fire Department. All these culminating events led me to ask, ‘What do I want to do with my life?” “I always loved health and nutrition, but I loved culture and spirituality,” she added. “To me NativSol was kind of a nice way to wrap all those things together in a way that the average person can understand, which is, What are they eating? Does it heal them or kill them? Is it reflective of who they are and their value systems?” She went on to get the education she needed to create her reality, first getting her bachelor’s degree in human nutrition/premedical sciences with a Spanish minor from Oklahoma State

26 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

University. She furthered her expertise, completing her dietetic internship at Dominican University. She went on to earn a master’s degree in health communication from the Tufts University School of Medicine/Emerson College Joint Program. And, as a Boren National Security Education Scholar, she studied public health at Ponticifia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra in Dominican Republic. Although her passions drove her to achieve all the qualifying education, her ideas didn’t reach full fruition until 2012, when she began going into communities to share her knowledge and challenge people to make a change in their eating habits through workshops and classes. But Stevenson has a more personal backstory to her mission. “I grew up in a Midwestern, Christian African-American family,” she added. “But I was also influenced by my stepfather, who I only knew as my father (she came to know her biological father and a brother later in life). He was Ghanaian, but he practiced Buddhism, Catholicism, and he loved his food and culture. He was also an entrepreneur.” As an inquisitive child, she spent hours in bookstores. “I was a curious, creative kid – loved art and loved science. I was always hungry for knowledge, a truth-seeker.” she said. “I wanted to be in health ever since middle school, and I would find opportunities that would feed into that starting with spending my summers at local medical schools doing research, and I did that all through college until I graduated.” Stevenson also had the added pressure of being the first person in her family to attend college. She viewed education as her “passport to get out of Oklahoma,” eventually taking a job in Washington and settling in Ward 8, where she felt her talents were critically needed. From there, her dreams took off. “I felt like I needed to do the right track,” she elaborated. “I focused on education. It was like

Tambra Raye Stevenson prepares West African delicacies at National Geographic’s exhibit “FOOD: Our Global Kitchen.” /Courtesy of NativSol Kitchen

the air that I breathe. But once I got to the end of that line, finishing grad school and getting that ‘good government job’ in D.C., I still felt inadequate, that there was something that I needed to do to be satisfied. I was not being authentic. “After going through grief counseling after my dad died, that was the start of my quest, or the ‘hero’s journey,’” she added. “I was figuring out what was my purpose. I was in survival mode, but it wasn’t until having the question presented to me during counseling about living an authentic life that NativSol became a reflection of what it means to live my authentic truth.” Coming from a family of healers, Stevenson developed cultural and faith-based nutrition and wellness programs under the auspices of NativSol Kitchen and was the founding member of the D.C. Mayor’s Office on African Affairs’ Health Education Planning Committee. She also serves on the Mission Committee for the American Heart Association and community leadership board for the American Diabetes Association. In practicing her faith, she has created a culinary ministry at Saint Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Church, addressing the intersection of faith, food and justice through teaching faith-based nutrition. Enhancing her historical research into African heritage foods, Stevenson took a journey to the motherland to add experience to her passion, going first to Ethiopia in 2013. Through her mission as the founder of NativeSol Kitchen, she was shortlisted by the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation as a Young African Leaders Summit delegate during the African Union Summit to The Washington Informer

speak on youth employment in Africa related to food security and agriculture. She continued on her calling to connect with Africa, its people and its culture last year. “The goal was to get to Nigeria, but a little thing called Ebola and a national emergency in the country” changed the outcome. “I switched my plans and went to Ghana, which actually worked out nicely. My stepfather hosted me, and on that trip I gave a few talks on nutrition. What I took away from that experience was having the ability to learn traditional West African dishes, which was one goal that I accomplished,” she continued. “The second was to understand how I could make a further impact on the continent as it relates to nutrition issues and not from a ‘feed the children’ perspective, but rather to build capacity from the health care worker’s perspective, and also to promote the nutritional value of African foods. I felt rejuvenated and reinvigorated about the possibilities of maintaining the relationships that I forged there and that I still have now. It made me even more focused and determined.” She was also inspired to discover her Fulani roots in Niger and Nigeria, and for her pursuit of promoting health through

African heritage foods, she was selected as the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s Traveler of the Year. As part of National Geographic’s exhibit, FOOD: Our Global Kitchen,” a traveling exhibition from the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Stevenson has demonstrated her version of healthy African heritage food in the test kitchen, creating West African soups and stews. On the last day of the exhibit, Feb. 22, she will return to the test kitchen to demonstrate the flavors of Ethiopian spices. The accolades for this vivacious, young mother of two (she has a 5-year-old son Elliot and a 4-year-old daughter, Ruby) keep rolling in. She has spoken at the U.S. Library of Congress, U.S. Department of Agriculture, W.K, Kellogg Foundation, Howard University, John Jay College, African Immigrant Refugee Foundation, American Public Health Association, and National Association of Black Journalists. Honored as the 2014 “Nutrition Hero” by Food & Nutrition Magazine, Stevenson is an inspiring speaker, nutrition justice advocate and consultant. This award-winning, motivational health communicator has emerged as a media source for NBC’s The Grio, WHURFM, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Sirius XM Radio, NBC Nightly News, BET. com, TheRoot.com, and New America Media. “I always asked the question, ‘What are people dying for?’” she concluded. “I really can do something, and it really is possible to bridge this divide in the diaspora around nutrition in a way that hasn’t been discussed before. That is really what I am focused on for 2015. Improving the health of people throughout the diaspora through African heritage foods.”WI

Tambra Raye Stevenson prepares West African delicacies at National Geographic’s exhibit “FOOD: Our Global Kitchen.” /Courtesy of NativSol Kitchen

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B H M

Families Enjoy Celebration for Frederick Douglass By Francisca Fournillier Howard University News Service It may have been freezing outside, but the people in the Anacostia Arts Center were working up a sweat as they boogied and bounced to the sounds of Gwen McCrae, the Jackson 5, James Brown, the Sugar Hill Gang and Gladys Knight and the Pips in honor of civil rights icon Frederick Douglass. It was called a Blue-Light house party, and on Friday, Feb. 13, the center was transformed by DJ Scooter Magruder and patrons who wanted to celebrate the 197th birthday of the activist, abolitionist and anti-slavery orator. Fria Marie Wilson brought her two sons, Andrew, 3, and Cire, 7, to the event. “I’m here to celebrate Frederick Douglass,” Wilson said. “I’m on W Street, so we visit his home often with my kids and other family members who come in from town. So, I thought this was a great idea for Valentine’s Day to come down and boogie with Douglass.” Wilson said the event meant change for her. “For me it means process, evolving,” she said. “The city

is evolving. It’s changing, so it means taking that step forward – change. It means a lot of things.” Every year, there are events put together by the Frederick Douglass Historic Site in honor of his legacy in the black community. The weekend of commemorative events began on Friday night and ended on Saturday night with a tour of Douglass’ home at Cedar Hill, where he lived for the last 18 years of his life. James Guthrie traveled from Hyattsville, Maryland, to join in the celebration. Guthrie joked that although he wasn’t much of a dancer, he still came out to enjoy the event. “I was interested in the event because of the historical value of Frederick Douglass,” he said. “I thought he did nice work and he had great accomplishments. And it’s also Black History Month, and I’m here to celebrate his life and works.” Ray McRee, a 70-year-old graduate of the Douglass Junior High school, said Douglass was always the main topic of his classes, but he Friday’s event was all about celebrating and having a great time, he said. “It’s a chance to get out,” McRee said. “I try to stay around and get into what’s going on. This is something nice. I haven’t

Residents partied, celebrating the legacy of Frederick Douglass at the Anacostia Arts Center in Southeast. /Courtesy photo

seen nothing like this in a while. I’ve seen times when I would go down to Anacostia Park and spend the night, and we had big speakers like that and we party

all night.” McRee accompanied his longtime friend Terri Gee, 75, to the event. Gee said he was in high spirits.

“Frederick Douglass is one of a kind and, first and foremost, a black man,” he said. “He’s a black man that was inspirational to a lot of people.” WI

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2015

Ensuring a Better Community for the Communities We Insure.

A D.C. mother and her children enjoy a recent party honoring Frederick Douglass at the Anacostia Arts Center. /Courtesy photo

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MGM National Harbor Celebrates Black History Month. We celebrate the leadership, courage and vision of the inspiring African Americans who overcome adversity on their paths to achievement.

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28 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

The Washington Informer

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EDITORIAL

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Hate and Division

Last week, during remarks to Republican businessmen in New York, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani launched into one of his trademark screeds against President Barack Obama. But what he said this time has invited more than the usual intense criticism from Democrats, the media and others. The irony is that Giuliani wasn’t invited or scheduled to speak at the private dinner for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. It might have served him better if he’d eaten and not spoken, but that’s not his way. Giuliani is one of any number of politicians who carry water for Israel, and any criticism of Obama and the Democrats is red meat for conservatives. In his speech he criticized Obama for perceived weakness in his dealings with Iran in ongoing nuclear negotiations, castigated the president for too frequently criticizing the United States and questioned Obama’s patriotism by declaring that he doesn’t love America. What made this speech different from those Giuliani has given over the years is that he added one caveat: “I know this is a bad thing to say [but he] wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up, through love of this country.” So far, unless they have been asked directly, there hasn’t been a peep from Republican leaders or the rank-and-file, and Walker has danced away from the controversy, refusing when asked to comment or offer a reaction. Giuliani, a GOP presidential candidate in 2008, is no stranger to controversy or racially insensitive remarks. In the wake of the grand jury non-indictment verdicts in the Eric Garner and Michael Brown cases, for example, the former prosecutor dismissed nationwide protests and calls for judicial fairness and equality by saying that if black people weren’t committing crimes, there’d be no need for police in those neighborhoods. He can always be counted on to toss out offensive and dismissive comments on issues of race and criminal justice and choose to blame victims and critics rather than those in blue. Giuliani appears to have a visceral hatred for Obama, and he’s not alone. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called Obama an apologist for radical Islamic terrorists, while Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who’s also seeking GOP’s 2016 presidential nomination, issued a statement supporting Giuliani, telling the media, “If you are looking for someone to condemn the mayor, look elsewhere.” Somehow it escapes these people that it’s okay to disagree with the president without getting personal and vicious and that these racist jags continue to alienate blacks and other people of color, whom the GOP purports to be courting. Then they wonder why people of color, women and those they routinely offend look on them with such a jaundiced eye.

UDC: A Move in the Right Direction?

The University of the District of Columbia has experienced a good deal of turmoil lately, and from the looks of things, more is in the offing. UDC officials announced last week that the board of trustees has voted to close and relocate the community college located on North Capitol Street. The move, they say, is a cost-savings decision, but there are wider implications than just money. The university is the people’s university, catering to students from all over the District. One of its draws has been accessibility, and if the community college is moved, it will limit that option. For an institution struggling financially, does it make sense to spend $11 million on relocation costs? And there are still questions about what officials would do about the $5.5 million yearly lease, money owed over the next 17 years. UDC spokesman Michael C. Rogers said in media reports that the board is studying a variety of options. The hope is that members will reconsider and think long and hard about the effects of these changes on students, faculty and enrollment and not just focus on the bottom line.

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Concern for Black Males

I read in the Education Section of The Informer, February 25, 2015, that DC Council member Mary Cheh is challenging the legality of Mayor Muriel Bower’s “Empowering Males of Color” initiative. This initiative creates an all-male preparatory high school in Southeast. Ms. Cheh says it raises constitutional questions under the Equal Protection, Title IX and the DC Human Rights Act. To me, this is another instance of someone using their position to stop something and not understanding the problems that have plagued our community for years. Our black males need this type of school, especially in Southeast. I can appreciate Ms. Cheh’s concern for our young black females, and if the all-male school works, then by all means make an all-female school. The high school dropout rate for black males in Southeast is off the chart, and that only amplifies the unemployment rates. Let us try to turn this thing around before you try to stop us, please. Ruben Miller Washington, DC

Minds of the Millennials

I found it very interesting to read your latest insert, “The Washington Informer Bridge.” I hope this will become a regular The Washington Informer

feature in your paper. I do believe young people have a lot to say, but those of us who aren’t on social media don’t get to hear their views very much. This seems to be a great vehicle for communicating what’s going on and how the so-called millennial generation feels about certain issues. So much of the news is negative when it comes to our young people, and I hope the Bridge can serve as a way to shine a positive light on some of the good things that are happening. So, my question to you, editor, is this: How will you pick and choose what goes in The Informer and what goes in the Bridge? That is something that has always fascinated me about the running of a newspaper. Anyway, thanks for giving us “old folks” a chance to have a look inside the minds and hearts of our young people through the written word. Hopefully we will see more and read more from the Bridge in the future. I wish you continued success and thank you very much. Candice Manley Washington, DC

Thank You for the Bridge

I was excited to see the recent issue of the WI Bridge. The Washington Informer has come

to my parent’s home for years. They are long-time subscribers. I grew up flipping through the pages and I learned a lot about my community by reading the Informer. Still, for some reason I looked at is as their newspaper and not mine. The Bridge is different. It speaks to me, and my generation. I look forward seeing what’s next. I’m proud to see a reporting on serious issues my generation is interested in and not just stories about entertainers and parties. Thank you for creating a newspaper that speaks to me. Valerie Laws Washington, DC

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

By Priscilla Ocen

New Study Fills in the Gap on Black Girls When asked what her teachers think of her and her peers, one Black girl responded, “They like, can’t be trusted, or they are loud and rowdy, ghetto, and stuff like that. Ignorant.” Subjective stereotypes such as these often lead teachers and school administrators to over-discipline Black girls. At times these stereotypes push them out of school altogether and onto a path of criminaliza-

tion and low-income jobs, ultimately creating a lifelong opportunity gap for Black women. Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced and Underprotected, a report released recently by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) and Columbia Law School’s Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies takes a step toward shedding light on the crisis facing Black girls. Although it is now well known that Black men and boys confront racial obstacles throughout

American society, there is little awareness of the pressing needs of Black women and girls. Black Girls Matter begins to fill that gap by examining the impact of punitive disciplinary policies on African American girls in New York City and Boston public schools. Its findings reveal that Black girls and other girls of color experience discriminatory disciplinary policies, and disproportionately high suspension and expulsion rates. Like their male counterparts, Black girls are sub-

Guest Columnist

stantially more likely to be subjected to school discipline than their female peers. In fact, the disparity in disciplinary punishments between Black girls and White girls is greater than the one between Black and White boys in some settings. Across the nation, Black girls are six times more likely to be suspended than White girls, whereas Black boys are three times more likely to be suspended than White boys. In New York City during the 2011-2012 school year, 90 percent of the girls expelled were

Black, and none were White. In Boston, Black girls were 10 times more likely to be suspended than their White female counterparts, while Black boys were 7.4 times more likely to be suspended than their White peers. So while Black boys face higher rates of suspension and expulsion in terms of absolute numbers, Black girls in some contexts face a greater racialized risk. Alarming statistics such as these highlight the need for the

OCEN Page 45

By Marian Wright Edelman

No ESEA Bill Is Better Than a Bad One For 50 years Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) has been the primary source of federal funding targeted to schools to serve poor children. Its purpose has been to raise achievement for poor children through extra support to their schools to help meet their greater educational needs. Sadly, from the beginning, states didn’t keep their end of the bargain.

In 1969, the Washington Research Project (the Children’s Defense Fund’s parent organization) and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. partnered with others and examined federal audit reports on how Title I funds were being used. Our report, Title I: Is It Helping Poor Children?, found the answer to our question was a resounding “No.” Rather than serving the special needs of poor and disadvantaged chil-

dren, many of the millions of dollars Congress appropriated had been wasted, diverted, or otherwise misused by state and local education agencies. Title I funding was often being used as general aid and to supplant – rather than supplement – state and local education funds, including for construction and equipment unrelated to Title I goals. For example, Fayette County, Tenn. used 90 percent of its Title I funds for construction of a predominantly Black

Guest Columnist

school despite a recent federal court order that the school system desegregate, and Memphis used Title I funds to purchase 18 portable swimming pools in the summer of 1966. The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) subsequently conducted several other major studies that reinforced the importance of federal accountability for money targeted to help children most in need, especially poor children and children of color. In CDF’s first report, Children Out of

School in America (1974), after knocking on thousands of doors in census tracts across the nation and interviewing many state and local school officials, we found that if a child was not White, or was White but not middle class, did not speak English, was poor, needed special help with seeing, hearing, walking, reading, learning, adjusting, or growing up, was pregnant at age 15, was not smart enough, or was too smart,

EDELMAN Page 45

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

Twin Evils: Terrorism and Racism There are two related violent phenomena that are now getting renewed public attention and research around the world, as well as considerable debate and denial. The twin evils are terrorism and racism. President Barack Obama’s recent White House Summit on “Countering Violent Extremism” reminded many of us in Black America that violent acts of “extremism” have not been

30 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

isolated just to the Middle East or to the perversion of one religion. At the conclusion of the White House meeting on extremism, President Obama affirmed the national resolve and resilience of the United States in surmounting and overcoming terrific challenges in the past. The president said, “For more than 238 years, the United States of America has not just endured, but we have thrived and surmounted challenges that might have broken a lesser nation. After a terrible civil war, we re-

paired our union. We weathered a Great Depression, became the world’s most dynamic economy.” It is undeniable that the United States has made progress for more than two centuries toward a “more perfect union” with promises of liberty, equality and justice for all. For millions of Black Americans, however, the contradictions of racial inequality, racially motivation violence, disproportionate mass incarceration, and numerous other forms of institutionalized racism and extremism are all still realities The Washington Informer

that we face daily. That, too, is undeniable. After the White House summit, a larger gathering of international governmental leaders, civil society groups, diplomats, religious leaders and others convened at the State Department. Again, President Obama reiterated his call to action for a more coordinated global effort to counter violent extremism. He stated, “We come together from more than 60 countries from every continent. We speak different languages, born of dif-

ferent races and ethnic groups, and belong to different religions. We are here today because we are united against the scourge of violent extremism and terrorism.” It was a welcomed display of a growing, diverse international coalition of governments and organizations emerging to make public their collective intention to work together to confront violent extremism wherever it exists. Given the changing demographics fueled by the “browning

CHAVIS Page 45

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

By George E. Curry

DuBois and Trotter: My Civil Rights Heroes In the interest of full disclosure, I have been a W.E.B. DuBois fanatic since my teenage years in Tuscaloosa, Ala. I have a healthy collection of books by and about DuBois, including David Levering Lewis’ two-volume biography of DuBois (W.E.B. Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century 19191963 and W.E.B. DuBois: Biography of a Race, 1868-1919), each a winner of the Pulitzer

Prize. I first became enamored of DuBois at Druid High School when I learned he was the polar opposite of Booker T. Washington. In his Atlanta Compromise speech in 1895, Booker T. said in defense of racial segregation, “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” DuBois, on the other hand, was unwilling to settle for anything less than full economic,

social and political equality for African Americans. When I learned that DuBois and I shared the same birthday – February 23 – I was ecstatic. I was born at 11:30 at night and told Mama if she had waited another 31 minutes, I don’t know if I would have ever forgiven her, not that the timing of my entry into this world was under her control. Enough disclosure. As much as I admire William Edward Burghardt DuBois – my middle name is also Edward –

Guest Columnist

in temperament, I am probably more like William Monroe Trotter than DuBois. And we both pursued full-time careers in journalism. Even during Black History Month, I am surprised that Trotter’s name is rarely, if ever, mentioned. Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, Trotter grew up in Boston. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard in 1895 – the same year DuBois became the first African American to earn a PhD from the universi-

ty. A year later, Trotter earned a master’s degree from Harvard in finance but could not find a job in banking because of his race. Instead, Trotter worked at his father’s real estate company. In 1901, he and George Forbes founded the Boston Guardian newspaper, an uncompromising voice for Black liberation that routinely denounced Booker T. Washington as Benedict Arnold, the Great Traitor and an errand boy for Northern philanthropists.

CURRY Page 46

By Thomas Lee Bowen

A Better Way to Die Fox’s new hit drama “Empire” is killing it: With an average of 10 million viewers each week, the show explores the struggle of coming to grips with one’s own mortality. Beyond the sick hip-hop beats, drop-dead gorgeous cast and runway fashions, the show’s writers take us on a journey that exposes the real-life struggles of coping with death and dying. “Empire’s” leading man Lu-

cious Lyon, portrayed by Terrence Howard, is a drug dealer turned rapper turned record label mogul who is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and given three years to live. Motivated by his fate, Lyons carefully pits his three sons against one another over who will take over his empire. Adding to the drama is Lyon’s estranged wife, Cookie, played by Taraji P. Henson, who makes it clear she wants half of the company. The manipulative manner in which Lyon chooses to prepare for death makes

for great television drama, but should leave us asking, “Is there a better way to die?” If given the choice, most people would choose to die in the comfort of their homes, surrounded by family and friends and with all the necessary arrangements in place before their last breaths. However, the majority African-Americans will die with no end-of-life plans and without expressing their final wishes. Why is making a plan for the end of life such a daunting

Askia-At-Large

and difficult challenge for African-Americans? Many black families readily discuss cultural heritage and family values, but there is a pervasive social stigma that often causes health care planning and financial wishes to be left out of the discussions. Studies conclude we are much more hesitant to discuss endof-life options and preparations with our families and are half as likely as whites to have an advance directive, living will, updated life insurance policies or a do-not-resuscitate order on file

with our primary care physicians. What’s more, a mere 13 percent of us in home health care have an end-of-life plan in place, compared with 32 percent of whites. This failure to specify our health care preferences can leave our family members with the undue burden of making difficult medical decisions for us and may mean that desired treatments are not being delivered. Widespread failure to make end-of-life plans also has a long-

BOWEN Page 46

By Askia Muhammad

Putting Rudy Giuliani in His Place While racist xenophobes like Rudy Giuliani, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner and self-hating xenophobes like Ben Carson may not realize it yet, there is a special place reserved for them in the Land of Eternal Torment. You see, one day, many, many white people who have been duped by the anti-black coded messages that these and other

Repugnican politicians throw out like swill to the swine may just come to their senses and condemn these demagogues for just what they are — greedy liars and swindlers who would just as soon see America burning in the pit of hell than see the black descendants of the enslaved Africans whose free labor made this country rich ever get the justice they truly deserve from this country. And that sentiment goes double when it comes to the possibility that a black president of

the United States might have led this country toward its salvation rather than its doom, the same way ending slavery saved the union 150-some-odd years ago. Giuliani may very well be the worst of that GOP political lynch mob – at least he’s the worst this month. Talk about the horror of Ferguson today. Giuliani was the mayor of New York when Amadou Diallo was gunned down by New York Police Department cops, shot 41 times in the vestibule of his apartment building,

and when Abner Louima was sodomized by brutal cops inside an NYPD police precinct. But, riding his high horse recently, Giuliani had the temerity to say: “I do not believe that the president loves America. He doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up, through love of this country.” Besides not passing the obvious political “smell test,” Giuliani’s calumny is totally inconsistent with the facts, as far as patriotic upbring-

ing is concerned. Giuliani often cites his dad, Harold Giuliani, as his role model. Unlike President Barack Obama’s grandfather Stanley Dunham — the significant male in his life until he went away to college — who enlisted in the Army in 1942, the dark hours of World War II, and fought his way from Normandy Beach six weeks after D-Day, Harold Giuliani worked as a bat-swinging (I breakkayoulegg) muscleman

MUHAMMAD Page 46

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Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

LIFESTYLE

The black theater play “The Me Nobody Knows” will be a part of a special Black History Month symposium at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland in College Park on Saturday, Feb. 28, beginning at 9 a.m. /Photo by Stan Barouh

Black Theatre

Symposium Scheduled University of Maryland Explores Value of African-American Art By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer From megastars like Sidney Poitier to the late Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, a host of African-American film stars have also mastered the black theater. And, as the black theater, which some call an endangered species, struggles, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park, Maryland, will cap Black History Month on Saturday, Feb. 28, with an introspective symposium beginning

32 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

at 9 a.m. Officials said the event, titled “Black Theatre Symposium,” explores the expansion of an inclusive presence and influence in the field of theater. Produced by the University of Maryland’s School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, participants will focus on the exemplars of excellence in black theater, which institutions are cultivating black theater practitioners, how to facilitate inclusion and diversity in the technical and administrative aspects of the field and how black perform-

The late Ossie Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee, forged their careers as pioneers of black theater in America. /Courtesy photo

ers can expand their artistry and marketability. “Theater professionals, scholars and students will convene to discuss and take action around these questions as we explore the expansion of an inclusive presence and influence in the field of theater,” said Sarah K. Snyder, a theater spokesperson. “Sessions will include panel discussions, workshops and a special performance of Seret Scott’s one-woman play ‘Artistic Housing,’” Snyder said. Scott’s play counts as a compilation of memorable moments, events and images that recall a life in professional theater at a past and far different time than today. The stories are told from Scott’s artistic perspective as a black woman and veteran theater director, writer and actress who has worked in regional, off-Broadway and Broadway theater for nearly 50 years. “The School of Theatre, The Washington Informer

Dance, and Performance Studies and the African Continuum Theatre Company join forces at the University of Maryland with support of the College of Arts and Humanities to present the second annual Black Theatre Symposium,” said Leigh Wilson Smiley, the director of the School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies. “This day offers a chance to delve deeply into the historical, present and future significance and development of the unique cultural heritage of the black theater in this region and this nation,” Smiley said. In a published interview in 2014, Sade Lythcott, the CEO of the National Black Theatre, called black theater companies “an endangered species” and expressed concern that unless drastic measures are taken, companies like NBT may not be in existence 45 years from now. That followed news of Minnesota’s famed Penumbra, one

of the most critically acclaimed black theater companies in the country, announcing it was closing its doors. Later, the Kuntu Repertory Theatre in Pittsburgh also closed. The symposium at the University of Maryland will be geared toward awareness and the strengthening of the black theater, officials said. “Last year we examined how black theater fits into the framework of our nation’s history and culture. We challenged assumptions about the boundaries of race and engaged in a spirited dialogue about the past, present and future of black theater,” said Scot Reese, a professor in the School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies. Theater professionals, scholars and students also will convene to discuss and take action around the presented questions, the professor said. WI For tickets and more information, visit www.theclarice.umd.edu.

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Young DJ Making Strides Forward By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins Very few young people have an idea of what career they want to pursue by the time they reach the age of 18. But for Bernard Brooks III, a local star who’s known as DJ Young Music, mixing tunes and entertaining crowds have been a calling that he answered long before puberty. More than six years after purchasing his first turntable, DJ Young Music continues to inspire people across the D.C. metropolitan area by taking his talents across the country and in the presence of the music industry’s biggest names. The rising star has no plans of slowing down, especially with a new mixtape on the Web and a nationwide tour in motion. “I like to turn things up,” said DJ Young Music, the head of DYMG Entertainment. “I don’t deejay just to party. I’m in a safe zone behind the turntables. I don’t have to worry about the crazy stuff happening around me. It’s every man for himself in this industry, and you have to grind to get to the position that you want to get in. That’s my job,” said DJ Young Music, 18, who lives in Brandywine, Maryland. In December, DJ Young Music became the youngest artist in history to sign a full development deal with NSUC Entertainment Group/Entertainment One Distribution, which will allow him to release music, film and soundtracks of up-and-coming artists through his entertainment label. He landed the contract not long after releasing his mixtape, “Something for the Streets, Vol. 2,” which has amassed more than 250,000 downloads so far. The lead single, “Right Here” is moving up the charts rapidly. Not one to dream small, DJ Young Music continues to keep his name abuzz on the airwaves, at parties and in social gatherings. He performed at a Super Bowl after-party hosted by hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj earlier this month. The prodigy, who’s also a producer and songwriter, is the feature artist on the 2015 Should Could Dream Tour, which is sponsored by Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt TV and WPGC 95.5 FM. That’s not all. DJ Young Music recently revealed plans for a project featuring members of his independent label that’s set to drop later this year. “My artists are working on a compilation mixtape that features myself, [rapper] Frank Benz, Da-Rai, and some of your favorite musicians,” DJ

Young Music said. “The music that we’re releasing will take a lot of time and effort. We want to put a lot of work into anything that we produce. Everything we unleash makes everyone turn up. I like music that helps people have a good time instead of promoting violence and negative behavior.” At the age of 12, DJ Young Music purchased Technics SL-1200 turntables, with which he honed his craft and convinced his father of his deep interest in mixing music. In the years after, DJ Young Music developed his own style and learned how to engage crowds under the tutelage of DJ Mike Sky. The budding entertainer caught the eye of R&B star Ginuwine at the age of 16, eventually serving as his official tour deejay. Earlier this month, WPGC 95.5 FM added DJ Young Music to its mix show lineup. Once a week, thousands of teenagers in the D.C. metropolitan area tune in to hear the prodigy spin the latest tunes and feature up-andcoming musical acts. DJ Young Music, a senior at Gwynn Park High School in Brandywine, Maryland, keeps up all his obligations while maintaining his status as an honor roll student. “I think Bernard’s motivation has been to be successful,” said Bernard Brooks Jr., DJ Young Music’s father. “He has been taking care of himself by deejaying. He’s a young man in high school holding a high GPA and doing the things he loves. That’s commendable, and it needs to be highlighted. I hope that he can make this a real business and get beyond this stage of his life. When he graduates, this is what he will be doing.” One person who said he’s excited to see what the future holds is Tony Redz, official night show host of WPGC 95.5FM. “Kids in DJ Young Music’s age group got peer pressure, drugs, girls and young parenthood,” Tony Redz said. “I tell him to avoid all of that and invest in himself. These are the types of conversations we have all the time. At such a young age, he has done a lot. He’s used the lessons he has learned from being around other deejays and took his talent to the next level. When you have an opportunity, you have to put your best foot forward and mold your legacy.”

LIFESTYLE

DJ Young Music/ Courtesy photo

In late 2014, DJ Young Music released “Something for the Streets, Vol. 2,” which has amassed more than 250,000 downloads so far. The lead single, “Right Here,” is moving rapidly up the charts. / Courtesy photo

For more information about DJ Young Music, visit www.djyoungmusic.com or follow the young entertainer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at DJYoungMusic1. You can also watch the video for his hit single “Right Here” on VEVO. WI

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Notice of Public Informational Meeting Pressure Zone Improvement Program Washington, DC As part of the Pressure Zone Improvement Program (PZIP), DC Water is making improvements to its Fort Reno Pumping Station that, upon completion, will result in increased water pressure to many properties across the local water pressure zone in Ward 3 referred to as the 4th High Water Service Area. The date for completion of this improvement project is mid-April 2016. Many of the properties will experience pressure exceeding 80 psi, regarded as high water pressure. The DC Plumbing Code requires that a Pressure-Reducing Valve (PRV) be installed in each building that will experience water pressure at this level. DC Water has carefully identified each property that will experience high water pressure as part of this project, and will purchase and install a PRV in each of these properties at no cost to the property owner. Informational packets explaining the project and including the PRV installation agreement have been mailed to these customers. DC Water will hold a public informational meeting to make those property owners that will experience high water pressure fervently aware of the need to have a PRV installed, while reminding all affected customers of general but helpful plumbing tips in preparation for the water pressure increase. Tuesday, March 3, 2015 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. American University, Ward Circle Building, Room 2 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016 Free parking will be available in the parking garage at the University’s School of International Service, located at the intersection of New Mexico Avenue and Nebraska Avenue NW. Street parking in the surrounding area will also be available. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, sign up to have a PRV installed if they have not already done so, and receive a detailed presentation including illustrative maps of the project area, PRV packet materials and displays, and important information on what customers will need to do in order to schedule a PRV installation and prepare the work area at their property for the installation (i.e., clearance of any items or materials restricting access to the main water shut-off valve prior to the scheduled installation). As the work has already begun, there will be photos detailing successful PRV installations to date, and others showing the difficulty experienced in performing installations when the work areas are not properly cleared. DC Water staff will be available during the meeting to answer any questions regarding the project. For more information on the PZIP project or public meeting, please contact Peter Tinubu at (202) 787-4337 or by email at peter.tinubu@dcwater.com. Please also visit the PZIP project webpage at dcwater.com/pzip4thhigh.

34 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

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Civil War Exhibit Focuses On Families By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins During the Civil War and in the years and decades after, thousands of people of various ethnic backgrounds migrated to the nation’s capital in search of a new life and opportunities. Their arrival would set the stage for Washington, D.C.’s growth into a world-class city. More than century after the historic population boom, Washingtonians and people from around the country have a chance to revisit history and commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian’s newest exhibit, “How the Civil War Changed Washington,” opened earlier this month at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum in Southeast. The gallery – chock full of photos, text and video – highlights the men, women, and children who brought the District into a new era. “I was given the task of looking at D.C. and the Civil War in preparation for the 150th anniversary, so I wanted to focus on people,” said Alcione Amos, the exhibit’s curator. Amos said that “How the Civil War Changed Washington” differed from other exhibits because it focused less on the events and icons of the era and more on the experiences of those who lived during that time period. For more than three years, she conducted research and unearthed stories of residents of different races and classes. The exhibit includes a map that shows all the Civil War forts from which D.C. neighborhoods originated; photos of slaves who fought for their freedom; personal accounts of soldiers, cooks, and other key players in the Civil War; and information about churches, schools and institutions that served as meeting places for D.C.’s African-American and immigrant communities. “The common theme is change and opportunity,” Amos said. “All of the other Civil War exhibits talk about the military battles and political wranglings. I wanted those who walk through the exhibit to look at what hap-

pened behind the scenes. There were individuals who had their lives torn apart and who had to build back up. This history is told from various points of view. Everything I wrote came from photographs, data and family documents. ” Upon walking into the Main Gallery and through the exhibit, visitors quickly become familiar with the names and faces that don’t make it into classroom discussions. They get to learn about George Washington Young, the owner of more than 90 slaves who lived on the largest plantation in the District before the Civil War. History buffs can glean information about Tobias Henson, a black man who purchased his freedom and that of his family in the early 1800s. Later, visitors read about how runaway slaves in D.C. used the Sixth Street Wharf and the 14th Street Bridge, which was then called the Long Bridge, to come into the city looking for freedom. The exhibit also showcases a map of the historic Barry Farm neighborhood where newly emancipated black people settled after the Civil War. That portion of the exhibit highlights prominent Washingtonians who lived in Anacostia during that time, including Solomon Brown, the first African-American employee at the Smithsonian Institution, and Frances Hall, a white teacher from New York. Toward the end of “How the Civil War Changed Washington,” visitors can use an interactive tool that allows them to see their neighborhood as it looked in the post-Civil War era. They also get to listen as descendants of the people featured in the exhibit reflect on the struggles and sacrifices of their family members. Michael Fritsch, a manager of an insurance company, counted among the people highlighted in the interactive video. In his reflection, Fritsch touched on the lessons he learned from Kate Brosnaham, one of 21 victims in the Washington Arsenal explosion in 1864 and his ancestor. “It’s absolutely essential that people realize that their families have dignity and value even if they’re not related to presidents and generals,” said Fritsch, 52. “I was excited when Alcione

CIVIL WAR Page 35

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LIFESTYLE

Griot

TAURUS Joy this week comes from love. You are especially attractive. Stage your week so that you spend time around people you want to attract. It is easy for you to bring harmony into your relationships. Your ability to communicate is greatly enhanced. Use it to your best advantage. Soul Affirmation: The success of others is the investment I make in myself. Lucky Numbers: 30, 45, 46

by Andrew Grant Jackson c.2015, Thomas Dunne Books $27.99 / $32.50 Canada 352 pages

You turned up the volume – again.

CIVIL WAR from Page 34 Amos reached out to me. I don’t think this kind of thing happens every day. It was a tribute to my family and ancestors to have our history as part of the national record for my siblings, cousins and children,” said Fritsch who lives in Buckley, Michigan.

son launched Medicaid, Medicare, and escalated America’s presence in Vietnam. Sonny and Cher got you, Babe; everybody was dancing at discotheques; Barry Gordy hired “a charm school teacher” to prepare the Supremes for stardom… and Watts burned. With 1965 winding down, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’s album whipped up interest. Frank Sinatra insisted that Sammy Davis, Jr. be allowed to stay at Rat Pack hotels, and Paul McCartney allowed a string quartet on “Yesterday.” Cass Elliot became a Mama, John Lennon insulted Carol King, and drug songs were hip. And so, at years’ end, was the premiere of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I looked it up: time travel remains merely theoretical. Still, you can have the next best thing by reading “1965.” This book will have you humming along with songs you remember (or recognize, if you weren’t around then). Author Andrew Grant Jackson melds history, music, and little-known anecdotes as seamlessly as butter but what’s most fascinating about this book is seeing how times changed so completely in one year: we went from flattops to Beatle mops, from black segregation to Black is Beautiful, from “I Feel Fine” to “I Feel Good.” And, indeed, it was. So is this book, and I think “1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music” is what you should reach for next. If you’re an oldies fan, a follower of culture, or if you remember the year with fondness (or regret), how could you turn it down?WI

Retired hospital administrator John O’Brien shared Fritsch’s sentiments. O’Brien, a self-professed Civil War history aficionado, said he enjoyed learning about the people who have remained nameless for so long. “I liked seeing the live display of everyday people,” said O’Brien, 66. There are

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FEB 26 - MAR 4, 2015

ARIES Get in touch with those who can help you achieve your goals. Place the accent on initiative. Romance, passion and work are singing in harmony this week and tonight. Soul Affirmation: My love for myself is the most important love for me to have. Lucky Numbers: 9, 35, 41

“1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music”

Surely, the guy in the car next to yours must think you’re weird. There you are, groovin’ to your tunes, seat-dancing, singing along like you were in-concert. Really, is there such a thing as having the music too loud? No. There’s not, so turn up the volume one more time and read “1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music” by Andrew Grant Jackson. As the year 1965 began, more than forty percent of Americans were under twenty years old. Teens emulated their parents then: boys wore short hair, girls wore long skirts. Segregation was common, color TV was new, eighty percent of America was white, and the country’s youth had tasted The Beatles and loved them. Bob Dylan did, too, though John Lennon had once dismissed his music. The Rolling Stones were singing “puppy love” songs, while Barry Gordy hoped his Supremes might follow in Dean Martin’s footsteps since the “big money” was in nightclubs. Marvin Gaye, meanwhile, wanted to be “singing Cole Porter,” Malcolm X (who would soon be assassinated) met Martin Luther King, and thousands marched to Montgomery. As winter turned to spring, Roger Miller captured six Grammys; Charlie Pride struggled with recording deals in a segregated music industry; and Johnny Cash accidentally, drunkenly, set fire to five hundred acres of California forest. The Byrds’ music “gave birth to the West Coast hippie dance style…” Girls wore shorter skirts and boys wore longer hair, which “angered” future presidential candidate Mitt Romney and he gave a classmate an impromptu haircut. By the summer of 1965, President John-

Horoscopes

details in this exhibit that I was never aware of even though I’ve studied D.C. history. The exhibit has shown me that it’s more about the people than the war. Families are just trying to get a fresh start,” said O’Brien, who lives in Hyattsville, Maryland. WI

GEMINI Are you spending money with little or nothing to show for it? This is because you’re looking for something that money can’t buy. Now is a good time to spend some of your emotional currency, and don’t be cheap. You’ll create a situation in which people will work hard to please you. Soul Affirmation: Friendships are shock absorbers on the bumpy roads of life. Lucky Numbers: 16, 50, 52 CANCER You may like to go to war, but avoid an argument with a friend; it will slow down all the wonderful progress you’ve been making. Your patience will be tested this week; stay on task. Soul Affirmation: I smile and trust in the powers beyond myself. Lucky Numbers: 2, 20, 23 LEO Skip it! Don’t sweat the small stuff; it’ll only bring you down. Don’t run around inside your own head this week. Focus your awareness outside on something beautiful. Compromise is a key idea this week. Soul Affirmation: Jewelry reflects the beauty of my feelings about myself. Lucky Numbers: 40, 43, 49 VIRGO Someone in the family is ready to give you something. Open yourself up to it. Home improvement – mental, physical and spiritual – is this week’s best theme. Seek the simple pleasures from a neglected hobby this week. Soul Affirmation: I love charming, positive head games. Lucky Numbers: 18, 24, 36 LIBRA How efficient you are this week! Your busy mind is focused on productivity and achievement. Both come easily to you, so take your advantage and press forward. Soul Affirmation: I see myself as a finisher rather than a starter this week. Lucky Numbers: 11, 12, 53 SCORPIO Entertainment and companionship are high on your list of things to enjoy this week. Use your mental gifts to speed carefully through your work so that you’ll have more time for fun this week. Soul Affirmation: This week, silence speaks loudest and truest. Lucky Numbers: 5,15, 31 SAGITTARIUS Your only real caution this week is to watch your budget. Other than that, happiness remains the focus, as relationships heat happily up. Your family is very supportive and loving right now; let them meet your new admirer. Soul Affirmation: I speak my mind knowing that truth is my best defense this week. Lucky Numbers: 4, 14, 33 CAPRICORN Happiness with partners remains the order of the week. Relations between partners are exceptionally harmonious right now. You are in sync with loved ones. Much is being accomplished by your attitude. Don’t overdo your physical workout. Soul Affirmation: I master fear by knowing that all is well. Lucky Numbers: 2, 19, 37 AQUARIUS The time has come to forgive and forget. Take the first step in reconciling a friendship. You thought no one knew, but you may be romantically attracted to an old pal. Soul Affirmation: Friendships are treasures I cherish. Lucky Numbers: 14, 44, 54 PISCES Romantic daydreams may distract you from work this week; try to stay focused, but also enjoy your mental trips to romantic sunnier spaces. These images will inspire you to take action regarding a trip or get-together with your honey. Soul Affirmation: I let my dreams take over my mind to provide enjoyment. Lucky Numbers: 27, 32, 41

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Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

SPORTS

Cleveland Cavaliers defeat Washington Wizards 127-89

Wizards center Marcin Gortat is guarded by Clevelandâ€™s Kevin Love and LeBron James during National Basketball Association (NBA) action on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 127-89. /Photo courtesy Robert Eubanks

Wizards center Nene muscles his opponent as he shoots during NBA action on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 127-89. / Photo courtesy Robert Eubanks

Wizards forward Paul Pierce drives past Cavaliers small forward LeBron James during NBA action on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 127-89. /Photo courtesy Robert Eubanks

Wizards guard John Wall scores an easy basket as Cavaliers small forward LeBron James watches during NBA action on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 127-89. /Photo courtesy Robert Eubanks

36 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

Wizards forward Kris Humphries dunks during NBA action on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 127-89. /Photo courtesy Robert Eubanks

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Georgetown Hoyas defeat DePaul Demons 68-63

SPORTS

NBA Veteran Jerome Kersey Dead Former Trailblazer Dies Suddenly at 52 By D. Kevin McNeir WI Managing Editor

Georgetown guard Jabril Trawick attempts a three-point shot during Big East Conference basketball action on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. Georgetown defeated DePaul 68-63. /Photo courtesy of Georgetown Athletic Department

Georgetown guard Dâ€™Vauntes Smith-Rivera shoots over his opponent during Big East Conference basketball action on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. Georgetown defeated DePaul 68-63. /Photo courtesy of Georgetown Athletic Department

Jerome Kersey, a former standout at NCAA Division II Longwood College who played for the Portland Trailblazers during most of his 17-year career in the NBA, died on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the age of 52. Just a few days before his death, Kersey, a resident of Lake Oswego, Oregon, located just outside of Portland, Oregon, had participated in a local Black History Month program with several of his former teammates, Brian Grant and Terry Porter. He retired in 2001. Heâ€™s best remembered for his leadership and impressive statistics during the 1987-88 season when he averaged 19.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. During that season, he started for the Trailblazers, becoming part of a nucleus that included: Porter, Clyde Drexler, Buck Williams and Kevin Duckworth. The tandem made it to the NBA finals two out of three years (in 1990 and 1992), losing both times. He did take home a championship ring while with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. Medical reports indicate that Kersey experienced a blood clot in his left calf that broke loose and traveled to his lungs, clogging both of his pulmonary arteries that led to his death. Oth-

Jerome Kersey, 52, an NBA veteran, much admired by fans of his former Portland Trailblazer team, died last week after suffering a pulmonary embolism. /Courtesy photo

er high-profile individuals have suffered similar fates including Dennis Farina and Heavy D. On Sunday, Feb. 22, the Trailblazers honored Kersey with a moving tribute that included a video and 25 seconds of silence

prior to the start of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kersey wore No. 25 during his 11-year career in Portland. After the clip, the crowd at the Moda Center gave him a standing ovation. WI

Georgetown guard Jabril Trawick goes airborne during Big East Conference basketball action on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Verizon Center in Northwest. Georgetown defeated DePaul 68-63. /Photo courtesy of Georgetown Athletic Department

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Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

CTM

DC: Winter Wonderland

/Photos by Roy Lewis and Corey Parrish

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RELIGION

The Religion Corner

Celebrating Phillis Wheatley For Black History Month

The Griffin Firm, PLLC Committed to providing services and supports to increase the capacity of individuals, businesses, and communities.

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For Black History Month, I decided to share the life and times of Phillis Wheatley, the first African American author and poet in America. Research shows Wheatley’s birth name was Sasha Gamboa. She was born in Gambia, in West Africa, on or around December 5, 1753. She was captured as a young child and transported to America where she was purchased at a slave auction, July 11, 1761 by John Wheatley. Mr. Wheatley named her Phillis after the slave ship that transported her through the Middle Passage to America. He gave her to his wife, Susannah, as a personal servant. Blessed with decent owners, the bright, young Phillis was taught to read and write by the Wheatleys and she was encouraged to enjoy poetry. The first published African American poet and first African-American woman whose writings helped create the genre of African American literature; the 1773 publication of Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral brought her fame, with figures such as George Washington, who praised her work. Wheatley also toured England and was praised in a poem by fellow African American poet Jupiter Hammon. Wheatley was emancipated by her owners after her poetic success, but stayed with the Wheatley family until the death of her former master and the breakup of his family. She married a free black grocer named John Peters and they had two children who died as infants. Wheatley’s husband abandoned her in 1784, when she was pregnant again. She struggled to support herself and had completed a second volume of poetry, but no publisher seemed interested in it. Phillis Wheatley died from complications of childbirth at the age of 31. Her newborn infant died several hours later. By then she was living in

a boarding house in poverty. The Boston Women’s Memorial celebrates three important contributors to Boston’s rich history with sculptures of Abigail Adams, the wife of the second president of the United States and the mother of the sixth; Lucy Stone, one of the first Massachusetts women to graduate from college, and an ardent abolitionist and renowned orator; and Phillis Wheatley. One of the poems written by Phillis Wheatley reads: …Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand; That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic dye.” Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.´ She married a free black grocer named John Peters; they had two children who died as infants. Wheatley’s husband abandoned her in 1784, when she was pregnant again. She struggled to support herself and had completed a second volume of poetry, but no publisher seemed interested in it. Phillis Wheatley died from complications of childbirth at the age of 31. Her newborn infant died several hours later. By then she was living in a boarding house in poverty. In November of 2005, a newly discovered letter written by Wheatley was acquired by a private collector for a reported $253,000. “We are extremely pleased with the final price achieved for this historic item, probably the most important piece of African Americana to come to auction in some time,” Jeremy Markowitz, an autographs specialist reportedly said. “The buyer, a private collector, is thrilled to include it in a wonderful collection of African American literature and art.”

with Lyndia Grant

Women’s Christian Association, Inc., (PWYWCA), located at 9th & Rhode Island Avenue in Northwest will celebrate its 110th anniversary with an Afternoon of Smooth Jazz on Sunday, May 3, 2015, 3PM at the Washington Navy Yard Catering & Conference Center in Southwest. The board of directors is hosting the fundraising event to support the facilities affordable housing program for women. Give Paulette Holloway a call on 202-667-9100 if you would like to attend. Lyndia Grant is a speaker, radio talk show host and columnist; visit her new website at www.lyndiagrant.com and, call 202-263-4621. Listen Friday, 6 p.m., to the talk show, 1340 AM, WYCB, a Radio One Station; Address 1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite The Phyllis Wheatley Young 200, Washington, DC 20036.

(301) 864-6070

CHURCH LAWYERS MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC

Organizational Formation, Governance Issues, First Ammendment, Church Employment, Ministerial Exception, Maintenance Issues, Risk Management, Safety and Security Issues, and Real Property Law SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA

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jmccollum@jmlaw.net

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RELIGION BAPTIST

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church

The Reverend Lyndon Shakespeare Interim Priest

Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

Foggy Bottom • Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW • Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 • Fax : 202-338-4958 Worship Services Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

Schedule of Services: Sunday School – 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service – 11:00 AM Communion Service – First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study – Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org e-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

Worship Sundays @ 7:30 & 11:00 A.M. 5th Sundays @ 9:30 A.M. 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 P.M.

Schedule of Service Sunday Service: 8:30 AM & 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ Drs. Dennis W. and Christine Y. Wiley, Pastors 3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) (202) 562-4219 (Fax) SERVICES AND TIMES: SUNDAYS: 10:00 am AM Worship Services BIBLE STUDY: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Twelfth Street Christian Church

Campbell AME Church Reverend Daryl K. Kearney, Pastor

(Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340

2562 MLK Jr. Ave., S E Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email:Campbell@mycame.org Sunday Worship Service 10: am Sunday Church School 8: 45 am Bible Study Wednesday 12:00 Noon Wednesday 7:00 pm Thursday 7: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out”

5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Sunday Early Morning Worship - 7:45 a.m. Church School - 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship – 10:45 a.m. Tuesday – Thursday - Kingdom Building Bible Institute – 7:30 p.m. Wednesday – Prayer/Praise/Bible Study – 7:30 p.m. Baptism & Communion Service- 4th Sunday – 10:30am Radio Broadcast WYCB -1340 AM-Sunday -6:00pm T.V. Broadcast - Channel 190 – Sunday -4:00pm/Tuesday 7:00am

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org e-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

2498 Alabama Ave., SE • Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 • www.acamec.org 2008: The Year of New Beginnings “Expect the Extraordinary”

Sunday Morning Worship 11:00am Holy Communion – 1st Sunday Sunday School-9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study – 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study – 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes- Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org

“The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

“God is Love”

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor 1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202.347.5889 office 202.638.1803 fax Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Wed. 7:30 p.m. “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews • Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 Fax: (202) 526-1661

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan, Pastor 800 I Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 Fax No. 202-548-0703

Sunday Worship Services: 8:00a.m. and 11:00a.m. Sunday Church School - 9:15a.m. & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30a.m. 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study - 10:00a.m. Tuesday Topical Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Wednesday Children’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Thursday Men’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service - 6:30p.m. Saturday Adult Bible Study - 10:00a.m.

Third Street Church of God

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m. Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org emailus@gmchc.org

ST Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Dr. Raymond T. Matthews, Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews Sunday School 9:am Worship Service 10:am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service 6:45 pm Thur. Bible Study 7:15 pm

We are proud to provide the trophies for the Washington Informer Spelling Bee

Mount Carmel Baptist Church

52 Years of Expert Engraving Services

Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423

Rev. John W. Davis, Pastor 5101 14th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 202-726-2220/ 202-726-9089

TV Ministry –Channel 6 Wednesday 10:00pm gsccm.administration@verizon.net

Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Bishop

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., • Pastor

Crusader Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Communion every Sunday 11:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Bible Study Tuesday 12Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday 6:30 p.m. Motto; “Discover Something Wonderful.” Website: 12thscc.org Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Holy Communion 4th Sunday 10:00am Prayer and Bible Study Wednesday 7;00pm

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor

Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE Washington, DC 20020

Sunday Worship Service 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday School 9:15am

4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464

Blessed Word of Life Church

4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew, Assistant Pastor

700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849

All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors

Church of Living Waters

Sunday Church School : 9: 30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10: 45am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10: 45am themcbc.org

40 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

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RELIGION BAPTIST

Advertise Your Church services here: call Ron Burke at

202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com Zion Baptist Church

All Nations Baptist Church

Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration

Sunday School – 9:30 am Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 am Baptismal Service – 1st Sunday – 9:30 am Holy Communion – 1st Sunday – 11:00 am Prayer Meeting & Bible Study – Wednesday -7:30 pm

Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

“Where Jesus is the King”

Israel Baptist Church

4850 Blagdon Ave, NW • Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 • Fax (202) 291-3773

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288

Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute Wednesday - 1:30 pm Prayer Meeting Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730

2001 North Capitol St, N.E. • Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

St. Luke Baptist Church

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor

Sunday Worship Service 10:15AM- Praise and Worship Services Sunday School 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, Senior Pastor 1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 Fax: 202-544-2964 Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 am and 10:45 am Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 am and 10:45 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon and 6:30 pm Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 pm

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Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor Worshiping Location Knights of Columbus - 1633 Tucker Road Fort Washington, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074 Order of Services Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am Sunday School: 9:00 am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer / Bible Study: 6:15 pm - 7:20 pm (Tuesday)

Rehoboth Baptist Church

Salem Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert SR. Pastor

623 Florida Ave.. NW • WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 • Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 • Fax (202) 483-4009

4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184

Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m. Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m. Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Dr. C. Matthew Hudson, Jr, Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms, Pastor

2616 MLK Ave., SE • Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 • Fax 202-678-3304

Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator

Early Worship Service 7:30a.m Worship Service 10:45a.m. New Members Class 9:30a.m. Holy Communion : 1st Sunday -10:45a.m Church School 9:30a.m. Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: Wednesday 7p.m Bible Study : Saturday: 11a.m. Baptism: 4th Sunday – 10:45a.m “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Sunday Worship Service 10:00 A.M.

Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M

Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

services here:

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065

tel: 202-291-6565

Advertise Your Church

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Prayer/Seeking Wednesday at 8:00 P.M.

301 kennedy street, nW Washington, DC 20011

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor 2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family” Sunday Worship 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service Tuesdays – 8:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

Quality Printers

Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church

New Commandment Baptist Church

Peace Baptist Church

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell

Sunday Morning Worship Service 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:50am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Services: Sunday Worship 11 AM Sunday School 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study - Wed. 7 PM “A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

1864-2014

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Reginald M. Green, Sr., Interim Pastor

621 Alabama Avenue, S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 F: (202) 561-1112

917 N St. NW • Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

9th & P Street, N.W. • W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4200

602 N Street NW • Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595

The Church Where GOD Is Working.... And We Are Working With GOD

Sunrise Prayer Services - Sunday 7:00 a.m.

Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m. Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m. Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

Morning Worship: 8:00 a.m Church School : 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship: 10:55 a.m. Bible Study, Thursday: 6:30 p.m. Prayer Meeting,Thursday : 7:30 p.m.

150 Years of Service

Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church” Matthew 6:33 and Mathew 28:18-20, KJV

Sunday Service: 10 am Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 am 1st Sunday Baptism: 10: am 2nd Sunday Holy Communion: 10 am Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 pm Prayer Meeting: 7:45 pm

Email: stmatthewsbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

Motto: : “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

Sunday Worship Services: 7:45am & 11:00am Sunday school For All Ages 9:30am Prayer Services Wednesday 11:30am & 6:45pm Bible Institute Wednesday at Noon & 7:45pm “Changing Lives On Purpose “ Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org

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The Washington Informer

Friday Evening Service 7:00 P.M. ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor

712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836

13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560

Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 P.M.

3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Sunday Church School: 9:30 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor 2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 Fax: (202) 529-7738 Order of Services Worship Service: 7:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Prayer Services: Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 Noon Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.

Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2014 ADM 1363

Administration No. 2014 ADM 171

Administration No. 2015 ADM 82

Administration No. 2015 ADM 94

Administration No. 2015 ADM 139

Lois Hamilton Cooper aka Lois H. Cooper

Lillie Mae Green

Decedent

Donald P. Hackett Sr.

Lois F. Wilkins

Decedent

1050 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1045

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Washington, DC 20036

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Tina M. Hackett, whose address is 512 59th St., NE,

Sandra K. Patterson, whose address is 212 R Street, NW,

James McRae Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Donte McRae, Dion McRae and Arza Gardner, whose

Jacqueline Jones Moore 7605 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

addresses are 2224 16th Street, NE Washington, DC

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

and 7204 Quantum Leap Ln., Bowie, MD 20720, was

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of James A. McRae, who died on June 25, 2014 without a Will,

Joseph Yager, whose address is 5249 Chillum Place,

and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown

NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal

heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall

Representative of the estate of Lois Hamilton Cooper aka

enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections

Lois H. Cooper, who died on April 27, 2012 with a Will,

to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 12, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 12, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 12, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 12, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first

Date of first publication:

publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including

February 12, 2015

name, address and relationship.

Donte McRae

Date of first publication:

Dion McRae Arza Gardner Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Attorney Ethel Mitchell, Will and Trust LLC

Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Robert Green III, whose address is 6006 Arbutus

Representative of the estate of Donald P. Hackett Sr., who died on March 3, 2012 without a Will, and will

Lane, Clinton, MD 20735, was appointed Personal

serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and

Representative of the estate of Lillie Mae Green, who

heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their

died on October 20, 2014 without a Will, and will

appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such

serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and

appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills,

heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their

D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor

appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 12, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the

Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 12, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned,

undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed

on or before August 12, 2015, or be forever barred.

with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned,

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent

on or before August 12, 2015, or be forever barred.

who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent

days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of

who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25

Wills, including name, address and relationship.

days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication:

February 12, 2015

Joseph Yager

Robert Green III

Date of first publication:

#201, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lois F. Wilkins, who died on November 3, 2014 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 19, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 19, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication:

February 12, 2015

February 19, 2015

Tina M. Hackett

Sandra K. Patterson

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2015 ADM 119

Administration No. 15 ADM 101

Frances Marie Sanders

Carrolyn N. Andrews

Decedent

Washington, DC 20011

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Attorney

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Nathaniel G. Randolph, whose address is 5106 Barto

Tiffany L. Brown, whose address is 2918 Akron Place, SE,

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015 ADM 97

Administration No. 2015 ADM 92

Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal

Administration No. 2015 ADM 110 Sally M. Brooks aka Sally Y. Brooks

Amy L. Taylor

Barbara A. Battle

Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Johnny M. Howard, Houston & Howard

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 402 Washington, DC 20036

Deborah Downs, Mozett Petway, Marian Parker, whose

Attorney

addresses are 7305 Kipling Pkwy, District Hgts, MD 20747; 4926 Queensbury Cir., Fredericksburg, VA

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

22408; 806 Alabama Ave., SE, Washington, DC

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

20032, were appointed Personal Representatives of the

Decedent Robert L. Bell, Esquire 245 Farragut Street, NW

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS (1)Arlene Y. Brooks (2) Everett F. Brooks (3) Viola Walker,

Representative of the estate of Frances Marie Sanders,

whose addresses are (1)7903 Old Burn Rd., Bowie,

who died on December 15, 2013 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs

estate of Amy L. Taylor, who died on October 23, 2014

Renee’ Francine Parker, whose address is 4612 9th

MD 20715 (2) 623 Quincy St., NW, Washington, DC

with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision.

Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed

20011 (3)6701 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20012,

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are

Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara A.

unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Battle, who died on December 1, 2014 without a Will,

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of

and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown

decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills,

heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall

D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor

enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections

Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 12, 2015.

to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the

Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor

undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed

Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 12, 2015.

with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned,

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the

on or before August 12, 2015, or be forever barred.

undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent

with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned,

of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to

who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25

on or before August 12, 2015, or be forever barred.

the undersigned, on or before August 12, 2015, or be

days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent

forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees

Wills, including name, address and relationship.

who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of

Date of first publication:

Wills, including name, address and relationship.

February 12, 2015 Date of first publication: Deborah Downs

February 12, 2015

Mozett Petway Marian Parker

Renee’ Francine Parker

Personal Representative

Avenue, Suitland MD 20746, was appointed Personal

was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Sally M. Brooks aka Sally Y. Brooks, who died on

and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such

December 27, 2014 with a Will, and will serve without

appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills,

Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose

D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor

whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance

Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 19, 2015.

in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed

A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before

with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned,

August 12, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be

on or before August 19, 2015, or be forever barred.

presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent

of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice

who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: February 12, 2015

Date of first publication: February 19, 2015 Nathaniel G. Randolph

Arlene Y. Brooks Everett F. Brooks

TRUE TEST COPY

Personal Representatives

Anne Meister

TRUE TEST COPY

42 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 12, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 12, 2105, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: February 12, 2105 Tiffany L. Brown Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Anne Meister

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Carrolyn N. Andrews, who died on December 9, 2014

Personal Representative

Viola Walker

Washington Informer

was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of

Washington Informer

The Washington Informer

Washington Informer Washington Informer

www.washingtoninformer.com

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2015 ADM 76

Administration No. 2015 ADM 103

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015 ADM 167 Vivian P. Gordon aka Vivian Pleasant Gordon

Lenora Battle

Daniel J. Enterline

Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Janice D. Fountaine, whose address is 222 Castleton Pl.,

Paul G. Enterline, whose address is 113 S. Race St.,

Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, was appointed Personal

P.O. Box 826, Georgetown, DE 19947, was appointed

Representative of the estate of Lenora Battle, who died

Personal Representative of the estate of Daniel J. Enterline,

on January 6, 2015 with a Will, and will serve without

who died on December 18, 2014 with a Will, and

Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose

will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs

whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance

and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter

in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or

their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to

to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of

such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will)

decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills,

shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th

A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before

D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor

Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 26, 2015.

August 12, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be

20001, on or before August 26, 2015. Claims against

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the

presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register

the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with

undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed

of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to

a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register

with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned,

the undersigned, on or before August 12, 2015, or be

of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before

on or before August 26, 2015, or be forever barred.

forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees

August 26, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent

of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice

to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive

who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25

by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so

a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first

days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of

inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and

publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including

Wills, including name, address and relationship.

relationship.

name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication:

February 12, 2015

February 26, 2015

Janice D. Fountaine

Paul G. Enterline

Personal Representative

Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gail M. Ellis, whose address is 26500 Bryce Road, Valencia, CA 91354, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Vivian P. Gordon aka Vivian Pleasant Gordon, who died on January 28, 2015 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Foreign No. 2015 FEP 16

Administration No. 2015 ADM 146

August 1, 2014 Glynn D. Key

Date of Death

Decedent Delores P. House Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Sharvita House whose address is 2327

Massanutten Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20906 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Delores P. House, deceased, by the Register of Wills Court for Prince George’s County, State of Maryland, on August 18, 2014.

Service of process may be made upon

Deborah D. Boddie, 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following

District of Columbia real property: 1320 27th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020

The decedent owned District of Columbia

personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register

Date of first publication:

of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW,

February 26, 2015

Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Gail M. Ellis Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Charles F. Key, Jr., whose address is 7315 Royal Harbour Circle, Ooltewah, TN 37363, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Glynn D. Key, who died on November 21, 2014 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 26, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 26, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: February 26, 2015 Charles F. Key, Jr.

Date of first publication:

Personal Representative

February 26, 2015 TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

LEGAL NOTICES

TRUE TEST COPY Sharvita House

Anne Meister

Personal Representative

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2015 ADM 151

Administration No. 2015 ADM 121

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015 ADM 93 Johnnie C. Parham Decedent

Mary Linda Sherman

Evelyn La Pearl Stribling

Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Norman E. Williams, whose address is 18007 Merino

Randoltt Johnson, whose address is 5233 5th Street,

Drive, Accokeek, MD 20607, was appointed Personal

NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal

Johnnie I. Barton, Esq.

Administration No. 2014 ADM 918 Lionel Franklin Taylor, Sr.

Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Decedent

1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Representative of the estate of Mary Linda Sherman,

Representative of the estate of Evelyn La Pearl Stribling,

who died on December 19, 2014 without a Will, and

who died on September 25, 2011 without a Will, and

Deborah D. Boddie, whose address is 1308 Ninth Street,

Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed

will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs

NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed

and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter

Personal Representative of the estate of Lionel Franklin

their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such

appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills,

their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to

D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor

such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will)

Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 26, 2015.

shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the

Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C.

undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed

Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C.

with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned,

20001, on or before August 26, 2015. Claims against

on or before August 26, 2015, or be forever barred.

the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with

Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent

August 26, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed

who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25

to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive

days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of

Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication:

February 26, 2015

Norman E. Williams

Randoltt Johnson

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister

Washington Informer

Personal Representative of the estate of Johnnie C. Parham, who died on June 8, 2014 with a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter

20001, on or before August 26, 2015. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before

a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Gail Y. Bellamy-Fleming

Washington Informer

and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to

call Ron Burke at

such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th

a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 26, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first

202-561-4100

name, address and relationship. Date of first publication:

TRUE TEST COPY

Taylor, Sr., who died on January 3, 2013 without a Will,

publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including

Personal Representative

Anne Meister

services here:

AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Gail Y. Bellamy-Fleming, whose address is 4501 5th

February 26, 2015

LEGAL NOTICES

Deborah D. Boddie, Esq.

7600 Georgia Avenue, NW #405

Date of first publication:

Washington Informer

February 26, 2015 Deborah D. Boddie Personal Representative

or email

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

rburke@washingtoninformer.com Washington Informer

www.washingtoninformer.com

The Washington Informer

Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

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OCEN from Page 30 inclusion of girls of color in the discourse around racial justice. They make it clear that both African American boys and girls confront serious racial barriers, including failing schools, unwarranted forms of criminalization, and impoverished communities. Moreover, compared to all girls, Black girls have the worst rates of suspension, juvenile detention and homicide; and the gender-specific ways in which they experience sexual harassment, pregnancy and other familial burdens are seldom focused upon in the quest for racial justice. Our report, “Black Girls Matter,” reverses this si-

EDELMAN from Page 30 then in too many places school officials decided school was not the place for that child. It is crucial that a strong Title I program reach the children in areas of concentrated poverty if and when ESEA is reauthorized. Unfortunately, the House Education and Workforce Committee, charged to lead in moving an ESEA reauthorization bill in the House of Representatives, just approved a bill (H.R. 5) in a party line vote that fails to target the needs of the poorest children by adding a “portability” provision assuring these children less help. AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and many others join us in opposing the portability provision. The portability provision in H.R. 5 would move us backwards by distributing the same amount for a poor child regardless of the wealth of the district or school she attends. This will unravel the intent of Title I by taking resources away from children in areas of concentrated poverty and offering extra resources to

CHAVIS from Page 30 of America,” the extremist violence attacking Black Americans and other people of color should be on a decline. On the contrary, there appears to be a national resurgence of racial violence against people of color inside. Black America has had to challenge and endure centuries of violent acts of extremism in the forms of domestic terrorism and racism. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) even to this day claims to be a Christian organization. But no one refers to the KKK as Christian extremists or terrorists. Within a week, the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” will be recognized in Selma, Ala., where violent law enforcement “extremists” attacked unarmed civil

lence by amplifying the voices of girls regarding their experiences in school. One girl interviewed recalled being expelled from school when she was arrested at 16-years-old. Following the expulsion, she was out of school for two years. Another remembered when a father went to his daughter’s teachers because another student was sexually harassing her. But instead of stepping in to protect the girl, the teachers’ response was, “good, take her out, she attracts too much attention from our boys.” These girls shared their memories of teachers funneling them into the school-to-prison pipeline, and the tacit acceptance of sexual harassment against Black girls.

Narratives like these are critical in creating systemic solutions to the issues Black girls face on a day-today basis. These persistent voices call for us to listen to their needs and to create responsive policies. Despite the evidence, however, the dominant public discourse on racial justice in the United States consistently leaves out women and girls. Black Girls Matter brings their hardships to the forefront in a work that is grounded in their own words and experiences. These hardships cannot be pushed to the margins anymore. Systemic racism impacts all Black Americans, and going forward the experiences of our sisters need to count for just as much as those of our brothers. This is precisely why resources

schools and districts with a few poor children who may not need them. The poorest students in schools with the highest concentrations of poor children need extra help to combat poverty’s barriers. Compounding this huge backwards step, H.R. 5 also removes strong accountability provisions required to make sure the children who need help most will actually be helped. It is morally indefensible and extraordinarily expensive that we have 14.7 million poor children in our country – 6.5 million of them living at less than half the poverty level. All of these poor children exceed the combined residents in all 50 state capitals and the District of Columbia. That more than 80 percent of Black and almost 75 percent or more of Latino public school students are unable to read and compute at grade level in 4th and 8th grades and, if they reach 9th grade, 3 in 10 do not graduate within four years is a cause for extreme alarm and focused attention. Without targeted federal funding with accountability, the poorest children will lose out.

Poor children are not the only ones at educational risk. Special measures are needed to protect English language learners, children and youths with disabilities, children of color, and children and youths who are homeless or in our child welfare and juvenile justice systems. States and school districts must target resources to address achievement gaps for these vulnerable groups of children. The federal government must hold states accountable for making sure they make progress towards grade level achievement targets, high school graduation, and college and career preparation. The mistakes of the past should not be repeated and children and our nation need us to move forward, not backwards. No ESEA bill is better than a bill that has poor children subsidize the education of wealthier children.WI Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org.

rights marchers who were nonviolently demanding voting rights for Black Americans in 1965. It is ironic that a new study concerning the systematic lynching of Black Americans was recently released. The study, produced by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), was titled, “Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror.” The findings of the EJI report documented that there were at least 3,959 lynchings of Black Americans in 12 Southern states between the Reconstruction Era and World War II: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida and Texas. And those were just the documented cases. There were many others that were never documented or reported

in the news media because during that period, racist lynchings were the socially accepted norm and not the exception in the South. That type of extremist terrorism against Black America was commonplace. Yet, there were no international commissions or conferences by major powers to end the practice. Lynching was the impetus for the creation of the NAACP. As it states on its Website, “The NAACP was formed partly in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and resting place of President Abraham Lincoln.” Among the founders were W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell along with a group of White liberals, including

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such as Black Girls Matter, which is anchored by conversations with Black girls, are so important. Our girls are in crisis too, and targeted action to address realities confronting girls of color in post-apartheid America cannot wait.WI

Priscilla Ocen is an Associate Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where she teaches courses on criminal law, race, gender and the law and family law. She is also a co-author of the report “Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced and Underprotected.” She can be reached on twitter @pannocen.

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Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard. The founding of the NAACP was predated by the DuBois-led Niagara Movement of 1905. The “Lynching in America” report concluded, “lynching of African Americans was terrorism, a widely supported phenomenon used to enforce racial subordination and segregation. Lynchings were violent and public events that traumatized black people throughout the country and were largely tolerated by state and fed

eral officials.” Today, the lynching and terrorizing of Black America is also done via the rope of the so-called criminal justice system. Prosecutorial misconduct in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and Eric Garner in New York are contemporary manifestations of lynching. Racially motivated lethal violence by police officers is another form of extremist terror and violence against Black America that must be stopped – now! WI Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

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Trotter then or later. But he was an honest, brilliant man, and to treat as a crime that which was at worst mistaken judgment was an outrage. I sent out from Atlanta in June 1905 a call to a few selected persons ‘for organized determination and aggressive action on the part of men who believe in Negro freedom and growth.’” Answering that call for a meeting on the Canadian side of he U.S.-Canada border were 59 African Americans from 17 states in what became known as the Niagara Movement. Though instrumental in the Niagara Movement and the founding of the NAACP, Trotter refused to join the nascent national civil rights group because he felt Whites controlled its leadership and finances. Trotter continued to press for civil rights through his National Equal Rights League. He remained an advocate for better treatment of African Americans in World War I, tried to get the racist movie “Birth of a Nation” banned in Boston and confronted

President Woodrow Wilson over his policy of segregating of Black federal employees. Trotter continued to fight for civil rights until his death on April 7, 1934 at the age of 62. The William Monroe Trotter Institute at the University of Massachusetts publishes a scholarly journal called the Trotter Review. The editor of the journal, Kenneth J. Cooper, is a friend and former colleague from our days as reporters for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Several years ago, he asked me to serve on the editorial board of the Review. I quickly accepted. I just celebrated Feb. 23 as my birthday and the birthday of my hero, W.B. DuBois. But being affiliated with the Trotter Review, even from a distance, keeps me connected to William Monroe Trotter as well. DuBois and Trotter – it doesn’t get any better than that in Black History Month or any other month. WI

BOWEN from Page 31

trated by the ongoing battles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s surviving children over his estate. The public has watched their continuous lawsuits and petty quarrels play out for years in the media, and it has tarnished their reputations and needlessly taken attention away from their father’s immutable legacy. As our nation pauses to celebrate Black History Month, there’s no better time to discuss death and dying in the African-American community. And, as this conversation progresses, Compassion and Choices, a Denver-based organization that works to ease people’s end-of-life journey, hosted The Journey Home: An African American Conversation on Feb. 24 in Washington, D.C. The event brought together

prominent African-American clergy, medical professionals, estate planners and other thought leaders to explore the cultural, social and religious factors that make African-Americans hesitant to make end-of-life decisions and discuss what should be done to increase black families’ participation. Demystifying the options for preparing to die and increasing awareness of how planning can benefit our families is a first step in the right direction for the African-American community. We can and need to do better for our families and for ourselves. WI Thomas Lee Bowen serves as the minister of fellowship, social justice and community outreach at Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington in Northwest.

Obama were not brought up the same way. But way back on Sept. 25, 1883, Frederick Douglass explained why white politicians literally hate the thought of a successful, “squeaky clean” black man. “Though the colored man is no longer subject to barter and sale, he is surrounded by an adverse settlement which fetters all his movements,” Douglass wrote. “In his downward course he meets with no resistance, but his course upward is resented and resisted at every step of his progress. “If he comes in ignorance, rags and wretchedness he conforms to the popular belief of his character, and in that character he is welcome; but if he shall come as a gentleman, a scholar and a statesman, he is hailed as a contradiction to the national faith concerning his race, and his coming is resented as impudence. In one case he may provoke contempt and derision, but in the other he is an affront to

pride and provokes malice.” So, in the whole world today, there is no major black leader alive except Obama, who remains untainted by scandal or even the hint of corruption. Oh, he’s far from perfect, and he has political blood on his hands throughout Africa for his brutal takedown of Libya’s Col. Muammar Gaddafi, for the turmoil that has followed his downfall and for the chaos that continues in Syria thanks to U.S. intervention. But Obama has not been shamed by tales of interns sneaking into his office for hanky-panky with contractors or “honeys” in hotels. And I guess that just makes folks like Giuliani, who should be the last person to throw the “first stone” at this president, just seethe with anger and envy until it just boils over in senseless, hateful tirades, as he must realize he will never reach the heights of the man he so readily and unfairly condemns.WI

When Washington went to Boston to address a National Negro Business League meeting at a local Black church, Trotter repeatedly interrupted him, challenging his accommodationist views. In his autobiography, DuBois wrote that Trotter attempted to make Washington “answer publicly certain questions with regard to his attitude toward voting and education.” Instead of getting an answer, Trotter got arrested in what was mislabeled “The Boston Riot” for disorderly conduct and served a month in jail. It is widely recognized that the founding of the NAACP grew out of the Niagara Movement. But it is not widely known that the Niagara Movement was established as a direct result of William Monroe Trotter’s arrest after confronting Booker T. in Boston. “…When Trotter went to jail, my indignation overflowed,” DuBois wrote. “I did not always agree with

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term socioeconomic impact on black families and can result in a loss of generational wealth. African-American families already hold the least amount of wealth in the United States. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that wealth inequality by race and ethnicity has grown since 2007, and the gap between whites and blacks is at the highest level it’s been in over 25 years. A lack of planning also leads to discord among survivors and can tear families apart. Perhaps the most visible modern-day case for African-Americans of how a lack of planning can lead to divisions among surviving family members is illus-

MUHAMMAD from Page 31

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46 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

for a Brooklyn loan sharking mob and was a convicted felon, serving time for robbing a milkman under the alias of Joseph Starrett. When it came to World War II service, Harold Giuliani made certain that his draft board knew that he was in fact Joseph Starrett so that he would be ineligible for military service. Like father, like son. The younger Giuliani was able to obtain at least six draft deferments during the Vietnam War, including a letter from a judge for whom he was a clerk. Giuliani estranged his own offspring, humiliating their mother by flaunting an affair with “his very good friend” Judith Nathan and then announcing that he was seeking a divorce from his wife, Donna Hanover, in a news conference. So, he’s correct when he says that he and The Washington Informer

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FREE SHIPPING EVERY DAY + EXTRA 25% OFF + FREE RETURNS AT MACYS.COM! FREE SHIPPING WITH $99 PURCHASE! Use promo code: SALE25 for extra savings; offer valid 2/25-3/1/2015. Exclusions apply; see macys.com for details. Free returns by mail or in-store. U.S. only. Exclusions apply; details at macys.com/freereturns

VALID 2/25-3/1/2015

USE THIS HOT TICKETS! FOR EXTRA SAVING

VALID 2/25-3/1/2015

NOW-SUN, MAR. 1

, gift card ), Doorbus Also excludes: Everyday Values (EDVathletic apparel, shoes & accessories; Dallas Cowboys merchandise special purchases, ts., ces, dep gran sed s/fra licen etic cted cosm sele ics, rs, tron orde elec d, previous purchases, special any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit trunk shows, New Era, Nike on Fiel ys.com. Cannot be combined withTO REDUCED PRICES. mac at r diffe may ns usio services. Excl unt. EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIED acco y’s Mac new a offer except opening RE! SALES ALERTS & MO erated TO GET COUPONS,ber, marketing text messages gen97 ive rece to e agre I TEXT “CPN” TO 62297 num to ile mob 622 my to P from STO t CPN Tex ing . text hase By purc s may apply. ent is not required to make a y at macys.com/privacypolicy cons that and Max 3 msgs/wk. Msg & data rate erst und I ber. num y’s to this m/mobilehelp Privacy polic by an automated dialer from Mac help. Terms & conditions at macys.co cancel. Text HELP to 62297 for

PLUS, WEAR NOW CLEARANCE!

5O% TO 8O% OFF

SPECIALS—LAST 4 DAYS! THURS, FEB. 26-SUN, MAR. 1

HOT TICKET SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 2/25-3/1/2015. OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 15% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.

www.washingtoninformer.com

50659_N5010178J.indd 1

The Washington Informer

2/13/15 2:42 PM Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015 47

PART Y HOSTED BY

PRESENTED BY

MARCH 19, 2015 7 PM

RONALD REAGAN BUILDING AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTER

Celebrate the Blossoms in Style AND SUPPORT THE FESTIVAL!

Wear your finest “Pink Tie” cocktail attire and enjoy a fabulous evening filled with delicious cuisine, cocktails, , HURRY ETS K C I T D LIMITE E AR BLE! A AV ILA

live music, dancing, and a silent auction. TICKETS | $225 per person THE CHERRY PICKS EXPERIENCE | $300 per person Includes access to a special restaurant tasting and lounge.

TO PURCHASE | Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/pinktie, call 202.661.7567. PINK TIE PARTY HOST COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Montina Anderson Davis & Dwayne K. Davis, Tom Weirich

SUPPORTED BY

48 Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2015

The Washington Informer

www.washingtoninformer.com

The Washington Informer - February 26, 2015

Published on Feb 25, 2015

The Washington Informer - February 26, 2015

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